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The Ministry of Defense's weapons development administration (Mafat) is targeting a global market worth $2 billion annually. The Ministry of Defense's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (Mafat) has set the next challenge for Israel's defense industry: do for unmanned submarines what it did for unmanned aerial warfare. If the defense industry moves quickly and purposefully in identifying this emerging market, and offers a well-functioning unmanned submarine, it could be riding the right wave in a decade from now: Mafat aeronautics division director Dr. Yuval Cohen estimates that the market will be worth $2 billion a year...

Exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of the Royal Navy's gruelling submarine command course known as Perisher 12 Oct 2013 11:53 THE RECORD is the first paper to go behind the scenes as officers are put through their paces to test their talent and nerve in the exhausting and body-aching submarine command course nicknamed Perisher. Dan Simmonds is put through his paces Brad Wakefield LIEUTENANT Commander Dan Simmonds gave the order to raise hunter killer HMS Talent to periscope depth before launching his torpedo attack. This was his most dangerous mission yet. Admiral Corder was standing feet away, his eyes flicking...

PLA Navy to modify purchased Lada-class submarines with Russia A Lada-class submarine designed by the Russian Rubin Design Bureau. (Internet Photo) Sources from Russia's Rubin Design Bureau based in St Petersburg said that the Lada-class mini submarines sold to the People's Liberation Army Navy will be equipped with Chinese power and electronic fire-control systems, reports the Kanwa Defense Review operated by Andrei Chang or Pinkov (Andrei Chang), a military analyst in Canada. The purchase was confirmed in a report by the US-based Strategy Page, but it is said that the four Lada class diesel-electric submarines will be modified specifically for...

The project, which got underway in October 2011, was implemented to save and preserve the historic WWII era submarine, which is located at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hampshire. The project has so far seen the ship’s outer structure repaired and maintenance access around the site improved. Phase One of the project, which reached completion in summer 2012 focused on the construction of a cofferdam around the base of the submarine, ensuring easy access for regular maintenance. Phase Two, meanwhile, restored HMS Alliance’s exterior which had corroded so badly that sections of the submarine were in danger of...

Torpedoes and sandals: The daily life of a submarine's crew A half-billion dollars worth submarine carries IDF soldiers to covert ops thousands of miles away from home. What does keeping quiet has to do with missile precision? What do they do when a soldier needs surgery? And who's the lucky guy who gets a daily shower? Ynet gets rare glimpse into Israel's most covert unit Few IDF soldiers receive a personal thank-you from a major general when they return to their base after an operation. Thus, the importance of the submarine unit, one of the most covert units in the...

A daunting quest to save our subs "UP periscope" is the famed catchcry of submarine commanders in Hollywood war films, but even that basic command now poses a challenge for Australia's real-life Collins-class submarines. The periscopes on the Collins-class boats are riddled with electrical problems, are prone to breakdown and sometimes suck water into the submarine. Almost a third of their electrical components are obsolete and when they break, there are no spares, meaning they have to be sent to Germany to be fixed. A confidential Defence report, revealed in The Australian today, says the periscopes alone pose a "very...

Funding cuts would weaken U.S. submarine readiness: Navy (Reuters) - Top U.S. Navy officials warned Congress that any further delays or cuts in funding would undercut the readiness of the declining submarine fleet, already slated for reduction by nearly 30 percent to 52 ships from 73, before an expected 2030s' rebound. Even as missile threats grow, the Navy's ability to keep its attack and guided missile submarines deployed around the world will be lessened by 40 percent over the next 15 years, the officials told the sea-power subcommittee of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. They said military commanders...

Report: On 14 August 2013 an explosion took place on the INS Sindhurakshak while the submarine was docked at Mumbai. The blast followed by a fire occurred shortly after midnight. Many sailors on board the submarine reportedly jumped off to safety. "However, there is likelihood of some personnel being trapped inside.." an official defence ministry statement ... said.

Russian supersonic missiles behave like wolves August 8, 2013 Viktor Litovkin, special to RBTH Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile at the 3rd International Airspace Show in Moscow. Source: RIA Novosti Large-scale construction of the next-generation Project 885 Yasen-class submarine armed with Onyx supersonic missiles is starting in Russia. These ships will compete with the latest American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines and will be world leaders in terms of fire power. Large-scale construction of the next-generation Project 885 Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear attack submarine, armed with Onyx supersonic cruise missiles, is starting in Russia. The ships will compete with the latest American Seawolf-class nuclear...

Casey James Fury simply didn't want to be at work, and in the process cost the Navy nearly a half-billion dollars and one attack submarine. Fury admitted to setting fire to the USS Miami, a nuclear sub, in May 2012 while it was in dry dock. Fury also admitted to starting a second fire at the dry dock three weeks later, according to federal court documents. In both cases, he told investigators that he started the fires because he was having extreme anxiety and was trying to get out of work, according to federal documents. On Tuesday, the Navy announced...

The Navy has decided that it will not repair the nuclear-powered submarine USS Miami after concluding that the cost of repairing damage from a fire set by a civilian worker is more than it can afford due to mandated budget cuts.

PLA said to have built world's largest conventional submarine Military Photos.net, a website dedicated to global military development based in the United States, has published photos to suggest that China's PLA Navy has recently constructed the world's largest conventional submarine. The submarine shown in the photo is claimed to be a Type 032 Qing-class test submarine, designed as a new diesel-electric ballistic missile submarine to replace the older Golf-class submarines. With a submerged displacement of 6,628 tonnes, the Qing-class is currently the largest diesel-electric submarine in the world. The development of the submarine began in 2005 and was completed in...

US expert issues warning over new missile submarines Taiwan should be “very concerned” by reports that China’s navy will soon begin the first sea patrols of a new class of strategic missile submarines, a US military expert said on Tuesday. “While these missiles may not be aimed at Taiwan per se, they are aimed at America’s capacity to resist Chinese aggression against Taiwan,” International Assessment and Strategy Center senior fellow Richard Fisher said. He was responding to questions from the Taipei Times following publication by the Washington Times this week of a report that US defense officials believe Beijing will...

The Russian Navy will receive 36 warships in 2013, an unprecedented number in Russia’s history, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov said on Sunday, July 7, according to RIA Novosti. “During this year, 36 combat ships, fast attack crafts and support vessels will join the Russian Navy. This has never happened before,” Fedotenkov said at the International Maritime Defense Show in St. Petersburg. Russian Navy warships are now performing missions in all areas of the World Ocean, with over 60 combat ships currently at sea, he said.

Italy, Russia to Modernize Diesel Submarine Project ST. PETERSBURG, July 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Italy have decided to optimize their joint next-generation diesel submarine project, a Russian naval design bureau said Friday. The S-1000, a 1,000-ton diesel submarine, is a joint project begun in 2004 by Russian submarine builder Rubin and Italy’s Fincantieri. Russia and Italy presented a mockup model of the S-1000 at an international arms show in France in October 2006. Andrei Baranov, deputy head of the Rubin Central Design Bureau, said that in its proposed configuration, the S-1000 is of “little interest” for potential clients,...

India may take a third Russian nuclear attack submarine on lease July 3, 2013, 10:48 pm By S Venkat Narayan Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, July 3: India has expressed interest in leasing another nuclear attack submarine from Russia to supplement the Akula class hunter-killer that was inducted last year. The two sides are now ready to start negotiations on the project, according to the head of the top Russian design bureau for nuclear submarines. Tentatively christened INS Chakra III, the new submarine will be a variant of the Akula class of stealthy nuclear-powered submarines that are capable of spending...

A3SM: A True Game Changer for Submarine Self Defence against Threats from the Sky As part of the Paris Air Show Navy Recognition was invited by DCNS to visit their factory located near Angoulême in southwestern France. The 260 year old site used to manufacture guns for the "French Royal Navy". It now specializes in the production of submarine equipment such as torpedo tubes and torpedo handling systems. It is also the place where the FREMM frigates' vertical launch systems are produced. The focus of the visit however was the A3SM, a new anti-air defence weapon system for submarine currently...

1950s San Francisco, as seen through a submarine periscope In 1951, the USS Catfish (SS-339), a WWII-era diesel submarine, cruised into San Francisco Bay. The crew snapped a handful of pictures through the periscope, showing what the city and Alcatraz looked like from the submariners' perspective. It's a bit eerie to see the city through the periscope's reticles, almost as if it were a target. It offers a historical perspective a largely pre-skyscraper San Francisco, but also creates the sense that the city being spied on.

€530m bill for Spain's 'sinking submarines' A defence contract worth €2.2 billion has hit the rocks after tests showed that the "world's most modern" submarine would plunge straight to the bottom of the sea. Sunday's El Mundo newspaper reported on the latest developments in the submarine saga that has given Spain's defence department a sinking feeling. The €2.2 billion contract to design and build four S-80 underwater craft, billed as "the most modern submarine in the word" has been put on red alert after engineers found flaws in the plans and sounded the klaxon. €530 million had already been spent...

Backing for 'evolved Collins' by:Brendan Nicholson TAKING the best elements from the Collins-class submarines to design and build a new hi-tech class in Australia is a spectacular opportunity, says the engineer in charge of their maintenance. Mark Stephens, the general manager in charge of Collins-class submarine maintenance with ASC in Adelaide, served for 10 years in the navy in surface warships, then worked his way through university to become an engineer. He has worked on the Collins in various capacities since 1998. Mr Stephens welcomed the government's decision to speed up the selection of a design for the promised 12...

Israel's 5th Dolphin submarine unveiled in Germany By YAAKOV LAPPIN 'INS Rahav' set to undertake long-range classified missions, can carry missiles armed with nuclear warheads, foreign sources say. Israel and Germany unveiled the fifth Dolphin-class submarine constructed for the Israel Navy at a ceremony at the German port of Kiel on Monday. The submarine – called the INS Rahav – is the most expensive defense platform ever purchased by Israel. The vessel is set to undertake several long-range classified missions that are critical for Israel’s security. The submarine is viewed by the navy as an important “force multiplier” that will...

Germans may find it hard to sell their subs Questions have arisen about the efficacy of German submarines just before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chancellor Angela Merkel sit down for talks in Berlin late this week when arms trade will be a certain, but underplayed, segment of the discussions. A submarine tender is too lucrative one to covet and like all big ticket military hardware deals, sees tremendous undercutting of the rival’s position. This time the contest among French, German and Russian submarines promises to be no different. The last tender, close to Rs. 20,000 crore, was bagged by...

NK Producing More Silvery Subs By Mok Yong Jae [2013-04-05 04:29 ] Over the last three years North Korea has significantly stepped up its production of submersible vessels such as midget submarines, according to an inside source. The sinking of the South Korean corvette ‘Cheonan’ in March 2010 by just such a North Korean midget submarine is said to have caused the authorities to appreciate the potential importance of such vessels to their asymmetrical warfare capabilities. As such, there are suspicions that the recent North Korean decision to import more than 600kg of silver through China was done to facilitate...

A child’s drawing of a lost submarine rests behind Plexiglas in a back corner of the National Museum of the Navy in Washington, D.C., seemingly out of place amid massive ship models and aircraft dangling from the ceiling. “USS Thresher/ Bruce Harvey/ crayon,” reads its art-museum-style description. “The young son of Commander John Harvey, skipper of Thresher, drew the boat on the ocean floor after hearing of its loss. Bruce’s father and 128 other men died when the submarine sank off the New England coast.” Thresher (SSN-593), at the time the Navy’s fastest and most powerful submarine, represented a leap...

Vietnam To Receive Advanced Russian Sub in 2013 As tensions remain high in the South China Sea between Vietnam and China, Hanoi is reportedly set to receive its first of six advanced submarines from Russia. Ria Novsti reported that “The first of six Varshavyanka class (Project 636M) diesel-electric submarines will be delivered to Vietnam in 2013 as scheduled.” Commonly referred to as the Kilo-class, the subs reportedly boast “advanced stealth technology, extended combat range and ability to strike land, surface and underwater targets.” Hanoi placed an order for six of the Russian-made subs back in 2009. According to the report...

In World War I they created a disaster in World War II, they had the highest number of casualties, they now teach U.S. carrier to fear: German U-boats are ambivalent weapons The message from Rostock bursting with understatement: With have a dive trip of 18 days U32 conducted the "longest and most submerged transit of a submarine of the German Navy," reports the Navy Command of the Armed Forces. In times when the nuclear-powered submarines of the United States or the Soviet Union easily displace up to 15,000 tons or more and can stay underwater for months, that sounds like...

Russia to Modernize Akula Class Attack Submarines MOSCOW, March 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will modernize its fleet of the third-generation Project 971 (Akula class) nuclear-powered attack submarines, Vladimir Dorofeyev, head of the Malakhit Design Bureau, said. “The Defense Ministry has decided to overhaul all third-generation attack submarines,” Dorofeyev said on Tuesday in an interview with RIA Novosti. “The first Project 971 submarine is already being upgraded at the Zvezdochka shipyard [in northern Russia],” he said without specifying the name of the vessel and the total number of submarines to be overhauled. According to Dorofeyev, the overhaul of the first...

Pakistan biggest Chinese arms buyer BEIJING (Reuters/AFP) - China has become the world's fifth-largest arms exporter, a respected Sweden-based think-tank said on Monday, its highest ranking since the Cold War, with Pakistan the main recipient. China's volume of weapons exports between 2008 and 2012 rose 162 per cent compared with the previous five-year period, with its share of the global arms trade rising from 2 per cent to 5 per cent, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said. "Pakistan - which accounted for 55 per cent of Chinese arms exports - is likely to remain the largest recipient of...

India in talks with Russia on lease of second nuclear submarine India is in talks with Russia for the lease of a second nuclear submarine, said a senior official in the Russian defence industry. India is ready to finance the completion of a partly constructed nuclear submarine which sits at the Amur Shipbuilding Plant in the Russian Far East, the Russian government news agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed “highly-placed” source in the defence industry. The submarine belongs to the same Project 971 as the Nerpa submarine which India leased from Russia in 2011 for 10 years at a cost...

Modern technology could give Collins-class subs new lease of life THE navy has set its sights on sophisticated new Japanese technology to extensively rebuild its troubled Collins-class submarines and extend their operational lives by 10 years or more. That could postpone the spending of an estimated $40 billion to build the 12 new submarines the Gillard government has promised to replace the Collins-class boats. Japan is relaxing its constitutional ban on exporting military equipment, raising the possibility its Soryu-class submarine - or more likely some of its advanced technology - could be an option for the Royal Australian Navy as...

MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy will refit, modernize and recommission two Sierra class (Project 945) titanium-hull nuclear-powered attack submarines by 2017, the Zvezdochka shipyard said on Tuesday. The Sierra class has a light and strong titanium pressure hull, enabling these boats to dive to depths of up to 550 meters (1800 feet) and enhancing their survivability, as well as having a low magnetic signature. A total of four Project 945 and 945A submarines were built in Russia. In addition to the Karp and the Kostroma, the Pskov and the Nizhny Novgorod were built in the early...

Russia Touts New Submarine MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) - Foreign customers have shown high interest in Russia’s advanced Amur-1650 class submarine, state-run arms dealer Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday. “Of the nine countries that are planning to modernize or develop their submarine fleets…three have already chosen the Amur-1650 project,” Rosoboronexport’s director Anatoly Isaikin said. He did not name the countries in question. The ongoing work on air-independent (closed cycle) propulsion systems for the submarine should further fuel the customers’ interest, he added. The Amur 1650 is one of several participants in a tender by the Indian Navy for six submarines...

Researchers say they may have the final clues needed to solve the mystery of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which never resurfaced after it became the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship, taking its eight-man crew to a watery grave.

Kongsberg studies JSM for submarine launch By Richard Scott 1/24/2013 Norway's Kongsberg Defence Systems has revealed plans to develop an encapsulated submarine-launched variant of its Joint Strike Missile (JSM), with development expected to be considered as an option for Norway's submarine fleet beyond 2020. A derivative of the Nytt Sjomalsmissile/Naval Strike Missile (NSM) surface-to-surface guided missile, which entered service with the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) in October 2012, JSM was initially conceived as an air-launched multimission precision-guided weapon designed for internal carriage on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). While retaining the imaging infrared seeker and GPS-aided navigation and guidance...

1918: Amanda Uren - Pulling a section of a submarine through New York City

A nuclear-powered U.S. attack submarine struck a suspected fishing vessel shortly after passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf on Thursday, damaging one of the submarine's periscopes but injuring no one, a Navy official said on the condition of anonymity. The Navy's Fifth Fleet said in a statement the vessel appeared unaware of the incident, adding it "continued on a consistent course and speed offering no indication of distress or acknowledgment of a collision." The USS Jacksonville, a Los Angeles-class, nuclear-powered submarine, did not appear to suffer further damage, the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said. "The reactor remains in...

Just breaking from the US Submarine base @ Bangor, WA --- A team of rogue seals has taken over a US Nuclear Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine

The wreck of a Soviet submarine lost during World War Two has been found in the Baltic Sea, 71 years after it sank, the Swedish Military said on Monday. The Swedish Armed Forces said the submarine, believed to have been lost on patrol in late 1941, was found in the Swedish economic zone southeast of the Baltic island of Oland in an area which German forces had mined during the war. "There is much to indicate that the submarine headed straight into the minefield while on the surface and was blown apart by a mine," the military said in a...

For the last century all fully-qualified submarine officers have been men. But that all changed when two women were honored with their Navy dolphin pins. The ceremony on Wednesday at Naval Base Kitsap was a graduation day of sorts with crowds, caps, and uniforms. From a cluster of colleagues, two female crew members of the USS Maine ballistic missile submarine were called front and center for a designation that made them qualified submariners. The two junior lieutenants were among the first three women in the submarine force's 112-year history to get their dolphins. "This is the mark where your command...

Three sailors assigned to the USS Maine and USS Wyoming became the first female unrestricted line officers to qualify in submarines on Dec. 5. Lt. j.g. Marquette Leveque, a native of Fort Collins, Colo., assigned to the Gold Crew of Wyoming, and Lt. j.g. Amber Cowan and Lt. j.g. Jennifer Noonan of Maine’s Blue Crew received their submarine “dolphins” during separate ceremonies at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., and Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Wash. In order to receive their dolphins, Leveque, Cowan and Noonan were required to qualify as Officer of the Deck and Engineering Officer of the Watch, perform...

  "German Islamists Target Youth on the Internet" By Christoph Sydow 11/01/2012 "Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan." PHOTO CAPTION: "A growing community of German-speaking Islamists has developed on the Internet. Aiming to find new recruits, they glorify jihad and call for attacks on Germany. A new study warns that such online propaganda might foster a new generation of terrorists." SNIPPET: "International terrorist groups like al-Qaida recognized the importance of the Internet for recruiting new supporters early on." SNIPPET: "Intelligence services can also take advantage of the anonymity of Internet forums to deliberately plant false information or obtain insider...

A Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine cruised within 200 miles of the East Coast recently in the latest sign Russia is continuing to flex its naval and aerial power against the United States, defense officials said. The submarine was identified by its NATO designation as a Russian Seirra-2 class submarine believed to be based with Russia’s Northern Fleet. It was the first time that class of Russian submarine had been detected near a U.S. coast, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of anti-submarine warfare efforts. One defense official said the submarine was believed to...

This week the US, UK, France, and a few Middle Eastern countries are conducting naval exercises in the Gulf of Persia to practice clearing mines that Iran, or other groups may place around the Straits of Hormuz in an attempt to disrupt the movement of oil tankers in the region. Mohammed Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that the “exercise is a defensive exercise and we don't perceive any threats from it. We are not conducting exercises in response.” Yet this is not the impression that is given. Just yesterday, according to the official IRNA...

A second Democratic campaign has been caught mistaking a foreign ship for a U.S. Navy vessel in images meant to brag on the candidate's devotion to the military. A month after the Democratic National Convention featured Cold War-era Soviet ships on a giant screen as a former Navy admiral representing the Obama campaign praised American veterans, the Democrat running for Senate in Connecticut featured a foreign sub in a television ad promoting his efforts to create jobs at the state's sub-maker, General Dynamics' Electric Boat of Groton. Instead of Groton-made subs, the ad for Rep. Chris Murphy featured a Norwegian...

Two Navy vessels collided this afternoon off the coast of northeastern Florida, there were no injuries aboard the submarine and cruiser involved in the collision. According to a Navy statement the submarine USS Montpelier (SSN 765) and the Aegis cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) collided at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET. The statement adds that there were no injuries aboard either ship and that the submarine's nuclear powered reactor "was unaffected by this collision." The incident is under investigation...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy's revised cost estimate to restore USS Miami (SSN 755) is approximately $450 million, with an estimated date of completion for the repairs of April 30, 2015 officials announced Aug. 22. The estimate includes 10 percent variability due to the unique nature of the repair and the cost impacts of shifting the planned maintenance availabilities of other ships and submarines. Navy is committed to delivering the submarine back to the fleet with no operational limitations. Once returned to service, Miami will serve for an additional 10 years with five planned full-length deployments, ready to respond to...

PORTLAND, Maine — The U.S. Navy intends to repair a nuclear-powered attack submarine that was severely damaged by a fire while in dry dock and then return it to the fleet, Navy officials Friday. While engineering assessments are ongoing, the Navy has decided to repair the USS Miami and is committed to doing so, Navy spokeswoman Lt. Courtney Hillson told The Associated Press. “Our goal is to return the Miami to the fleet because this makes sense operationally and fiscally,” Hillson said. There had been lingering questions over whether it would make financial sense to repair the 22-year-old submarine, which...

Recently there was another media report of a Russian SSN (attack sub) that was alleged to have recently operated undetected in the Gulf of Mexico for several weeks. This attracted the attention of professional submariners (especially retired ones, who could post more freely on the Internet). It was quickly determined that this was likely a made up story as attempts to trace it back to the source ended at the politically funded, as in 501(C)4, web site. The U.S. and Russian Navy refused to comment and attempts to confirm the incident have come up empty. Moreover, no law was broken...

Pentagon denied on Thursday media reports that a Russian nuclear powered submarine cruised unnoticed for several weeks in the Gulf of Mexico near the shores of the United States. “I don't know what that information was based on, but it was not correct,” Wendy Snyder, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, said. The Washington Free Beacon reported earlier that Russia’s Akula class nuclear powered submarine (Project 971) freely traveled in June and July in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico undetected by the U.S. Navy.

Navy Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II, who has been accused of having an affair with a 23-year-old Chesapeake, Va., woman and faking his death as a means of ending it, has been relieved of his duties as the commanding officer of the USS Pittsburgh, just one week after he was put in command. The woman said she met Ward, 43, on a dating website in October. She said Ward, who is married with children, told her her he was separated and that he worked in "special ops." She said he got her pregnant then, in an effort to end the...