Posted on 04/05/2012 4:38:32 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
3-4 N. Korean subs disappear after leaving east coast bases: newspaper
"(mainichi Japan) April 05, 2012"
SEOUL (Kyodo) -- South Korea is tracking three to four North Korean submarines that disappeared after recently leaving two bases on the east coast, a local newspaper reported Thursday, citing a South Korean military source.
The source, cited by the Dong-A Ilbo, said the submarines are presumed to be of the 370-ton class that the South Korean military has been unable to locate since they departed from two submarine bases on the east coast.
Another source was quoted as saying, ''North Korea seems to be actively conducting submarine infiltration drills in the wake of warmer weather recently.'' The source added, ''(The South Korean military) is closely watching the situation without ruling out the possibility of a provocation disguised as a drill.''
South Korea is preparing for a potential surprise attack by North Korea aimed at South Korean naval vessels or military bases, amid a tense security climate since the North has threatened to make strong provocations against the South while planning to launch a satellite atop a long-range rocket between April 12 and 16.
The United States and other allies view the North's rocket launch as a disguised test of its ballistic missile technology.
What vessel will they sink this time?
Most of the West — under Obama the undocumented
Moslem Tyrant — obviously does not care.
Japan, may.
Wait, if they’ve disappeared that means they aren’t
tracking them...Oh nevermind.
You don’t really believe that they are not being tracked, just because that is what is being published, do you?
If the crews were smart they defected to S. Korea.
My thoughts exactly. The JMSDF ships have to sail in a pretty much predetermined area to have any chance of hitting the NK missile, which means if they lurk around the edges, they might even be able to sneak into the screen.
Stranger things have happened. But I can’t believe the NK boats are going to beat the JMSDF ASW screens. They may not use them to the max very often, but they certainly would in this case, those big beautiful Aegis boats are bloody expensive and must not be hurt. Besides, this is still Japan, and nobody does tech like Japan.
What they will do when they find them?
South Korea is tracking three to four North Korean submarines that disappeared...
Well which is it, are you tracking them, or have they disappeared and you are searching for them?
...the South Korean military has been unable to locate since they departed...
Oh, that clears it up, I guess...
Just another example of the just plain sloppy writing/editing/thinking that permeates "journalism" today. These people rarely get all the technical details right and often make glaring errors with the language such as the example we have here. It is no wonder people distrust the MSM. The MSM is too focused on getting their message, their agenda out there to worry about the fundamentals of their job. Little things like truth, accuracy, integrity...
Move along. Literally nothing to see.
I’m pretty sure the U.S. knows where they are.
Interesting. I wonder if the intent is for them to take up “defensive positions” in the downrange flight path of the missile launch (expected to be around 15 April), to attack any ship that fires an anti-ballistic interceptor at it.
At 370 tons submerged, the Sang-O class submarine has two 533mm torpedo tubes fitted with Russian 53-65KE torpedoes, and is capable of mine laying.
The 53-65 torpedo family are Russian made, wake-homing torpedoes designed to destroy surface ships. The 53-65 became operational in 1965, while the 53-65K and 53-65M both became operational in 1969. The 53-65KE is an exported version.
Instead of using active or passive homing as other torpedoes do, the 53-65 torpedoes use wake homing, which, upon finding the wake of a ship, turns to follow the wake to guide itself to the ship. The torpedoes have no way of telling which way the target ship is headed when they reach the wake, so they aren’t as effective as other means of homing. To date, there have been no reports of a countermeasure that can confuse these torpedoes, making them very successful when they do home on to a ship.
Trimaran vessels may be in part due to the desire to reduce the wake of their ships and their vulnerability to wake homing torpedoes.
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