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WARSAW: Poland may join forces with other NATO members such as Norway or the Netherlands to buy submarines in a bid to cut costs, instead of buying them alone, Deputy Defence Minister Czeslaw Mroczek said on Sunday. The ministry had planned to buy three submarines with delivery set for 2020-25 and at a cost of 7.5 billion zlotys (US$2 billion) in a tender due to be launched at the start of this year. This was postponed when Poland decided to change the contract specification to arm the fleet with manoeuvring missiles. "We are considering obtaining submarines, for instance together with...

High-tech spy vessel carries cable-cutting gear, mini-subs U.S. intelligence ships, aircraft, and satellites are closely watching a Russian military vessel in the Atlantic that has been sailing near a U.S. nuclear missile submarine base and underwater transit routes, according to Pentagon officials. The Russian research ship Yantar has been tracked from the northern Atlantic near Canada since late August as it makes its way south toward Cuba.

An Israeli submarine that sank 47 years ago probably went down due to a technical failure, according to a report released by the navy yesterday. The report was released at a gathering of the families of the 69 sailors killed when the Dakar went down. Exactly what happened in the critical moments before the submarine sank remains unknown. But yesterday the navy released all the reports drafted after the incident, which had hitherto been classified, as well as a document summarizing all the efforts to search for the sub and any other information the defense establishment has about it. According...

Seoul refuses to back down and demands apology from Kim Jong-un for landmine blast it claims maimed two soldiers - North Korea's state media - Korean Central News Agency - has just issued another Shakespearean tirade against the South, accusing it of "false propaganda." Quote They [South Korea] claimed the DPRK "promulgated a decree on establishing a donation system" and "the society in the north has turned into the one where loyalty can be bought and sold." They asserted this was a "reliable source" from North Hamgyong Province. They even took issue with the newly built Pyongyang Home for the...

Military Sources, "About 50 N. Korean Submarines Left Their Bases...Can't be Located" 2015.08.23 15:23 /begin my translation Dozens of N. Korean submarines left their bases at both Eastern and Western coast, and can't be located. Military are increasing their surveillance capability to track them, it is confirmed. That accounts for 70% of (N. Korea's) submarine fleet, which totals 70 ships. This is the largest rate of deployment since the Korean War. Military sources said, "This is 10 times more than their normal deployment level. Dozens of them left their bases at both coasts, and we are unable to track them."...

Morocco and Russia are close to reaching a deal on the delivery of a Russian-made Amur-1650 (project 677E) submarine which would be the kingdom’s first submarine, World Tribune reported. The contract is expected to be signed during King Mohammed VI’s trip to Moscow later this year. The two countries have been in talks on the issue in several stages since 2013, according to the media outlet. The sum of the deal may be €300 million ($342 million), Afrik.com reported. During the DSA-2014 international arms forum in Malaysia, the Malaysian navy also expressed interest for the submarine. "Malaysian navy commander visited...

On Aug. 11 at the port of Severodvinsk in northern Russia, a huge and imposing black shape emerged from a dry-dock, observed by ranks of uniformed dignitaries. The Russian navy’s latest submarine is 574 feet long, displaces no fewer than 18,000 tons of water and packs two nuclear reactors. Named Moscow, she’s actually a refurbished, 1980s-vintage ballistic-missile sub that once prowled underneath the Arctic ice, cradling nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, awaiting Armageddon. Today, as best as any outside observer can tell, the Moscow has a new mission. She appears to be part science vessel, part spy ship, part commando transport, and...

At risk: The new Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute The £10billion project to create a fleet of seven Royal Navy submarines is in yet more troubled waters, a watchdog has warned. Its report on the Astute-class attack boats reveals costs are still rocketing. The subs have been plagued by a string of technical hitches and delays since the first vessel was ordered 18 years ago. And the mammoth project was expected to cost another £87.5million more than planned last year - up from £558.1million to £645.6million. The watchdog, the Major Projects Authority, has issued an amber/red alert, meaning there are...

On August 4, 2015, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) took over full responsibility and the effective command of ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Le Triomphant (S616). This transfer of responsibility is an important milestone following the refit period started in May 2013 for maintenance, repairs, modernization and adaptation to the M51 new generation submarine launched ballistic missile (SLMB). Le Triomphant will now start some trials at sea before returning in the operational cycle. An NH90 NFH Caiman transfers personnel on board French Navy Le Triomphant class SSBN. Picture: V.Guyoton © Marine Nationale Le Triomphant, head of the class commissioned in 1997,...

Fifteen years after one of the worst disasters in Russian naval history — the sinking of the Kursk submarine in the Barents Sea in which all 118 crew members died — the number of Russians who blame the authorities for not doing enough to rescue the sailors has dropped. The tragedy occurred on Aug. 12, 2000, making it one of the first serious challenges faced by Russia's new president Vladimir Putin. While at the time and in the immediate aftermath, the president's actions were criticized, a poll published Monday by the independent pollster Levada Center showed that 40 percent of...

A Navy sailor assigned to a nuclear-powered submarine has been accused of using his cellphone to snap revealing photos of the sub’s top-secret inner spaces. Prosecutors say Machinist Mate 1st Class Kristian Saucier took the photos aboard the attack submarine Alexandria, the Navy Times reported Saturday. He has been charged with unauthorized retention of defense information and destroying his laptop and a camera to thwart an FBI probe.

The Dragon is breathing fire under water. And, Pakistan is close on India’s heels. Over the years, India has lost ground on the submarine front. Hence, the need for more subs, and fast They do it every time. Before the Chinese send their president or prime minister to visit a neighbouring country, they send a few troops across the border—just to test the neighbour’s military and political will. Thus, ahead of Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s May 2013 visit, a few People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops forayed into western Ladakh and stayed there for close to a month. They moved back...

A wrecked mini-submarine was found last week in waters off of Sweden’s eastern coast, media in Sweden reported on July 27. Authorities believe it is a Russian model, primarily because of Cyrillic letters on the hull. They have not disclosed the exact location of the wreckage, but say it is around 1.5 nautical miles from the Swedish coast. “We are 110 percent sure that it is within Swedish waters” said Dennis Åsberg, a member of Ocean X Team which made the discovery. Reports say the sub is some 60 feet long and 10 feet wide, and holds a crew of...

The Akula-class nuclear submarine is the biggest in the world. Source: Oleg Kuleshov At the end of June the Dmitry Donskoi nuclear submarine left Severodvinsk, the principal base of the Northern Fleet. It entered the White Sea on a mission, one objective of which is to interact with Russia's antisubmarine forces. This is a unique vessel. The submarines of this series (Project 941, or Typhoon, according to NATO's classification) are considered the biggest in the world. Their length of 124 meters is comparable to two football fields, while the height of this naval predator is that of a nine-story building....

China is to provide eight submarines to Pakistan in a multi-billion dollar deal, which is touted to be the largest-ever defence contract signed by Beijing with any nation so far. According to The Express Tribune, the Pakistani government did not provide any details and even declined to confirm the size of the transaction, despite the magnitude of the agreement. However, the composition of the Chinese delegation, with whom the agreement was reached, suggested that the accord involved purchase of eight submarines. Sources in the finance ministry said that the payments would be made to China in four instalments and the...

A Japanese government team is in talks with at least two top British firms to help a Japanese consortium land one of the world's most lucrative defence contracts, sources in Tokyo said, a $50 billion (£32 billion) project to build submarines for Australia. Germany's ThyssenKrupp (TKMS), a rival bidder, is wooing anxious members of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s ruling Liberal Party with the economic and political benefits of its proposal. Two Japanese government officials and a company source in Tokyo said Babcock International Group and BAE Systems had approached the consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries with...

Justifying the docking of Chinese submarines in Karachi and Colombo, a Chinese think tank questioned criticism in India of the presence of Chinese naval ships in the Indian Ocean, saying China has a right to protect its interests and India should be "broad-minded" to accept it. "But even if Chinese naval ships and submarines appear regularly in the Indian Ocean, so what?," an article in the state-run China Daily questioning the criticism of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean said. Written by Zhou Do, an honorary fellow with Centre for China American Defence Relations of Beijing-based Academy of Military Science,...

While several Chinese security-scenarios are discussed in defense circles, China’s Taiwan dilemma is still the primary driver for Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) acquisition. Resolving China’s Taiwan issue has been the PLA’s justification for double-digit budget increases over decades. The force needed to deal with a U.S. military intervention during a Taiwan contingency far outweighs that required to handle China’s other external security goals. The Taiwan issue is reflected in the PLA Navy’s (PLAN) undersea force structure, which in recent years has heavily prioritized the construction of Type-39A Yuan-class conventional submarines (SSK). According to Naval War College professor and PLAN watcher...

Saab has unveiled what it claims is the world's most advanced stealth submarine. The A26 sub is 207 feet long, and features a 'ghost mode' to make it virtually undetectable when underwater. It also features a unique pod that allows special forces divers to enter and exit the sub while it is underwater. The firm has already signed a $1 billion deal to build two of the new submarines for the Swedish Navy. 'Extreme stealth is at the heart of the Kockums A26 submarine,' the firm said. 'Sweden is unleashing its GHOST (Genuine HOlistic STealth) technology, thus making the Kockums...

BANGKOK — The Thai navy has picked Chinese submarines costing 12 billion baht (S$447.5 million) each to be commissioned in the force, a source on the procurement committee says. The majority of the 17-strong committee voted to buy three Chinese submarines, saying it was the “best value for money”. The rest were split between submarines from Germany and South Korea. The navy also received offers from Russia, Sweden and France. The source said China beat other competitors as it offered subs equipped with superior weaponry and technology. Its subs are also able to stay underwater longer. Deputy Prime Minister and...