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Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise

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The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced

By MATTHEW HICKLEY - More by this author » Last updated at 00:13am on 10th November 2007

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When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed.

At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world's only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders.

That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory.

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Song Class submarine

Uninvited guest: A Chinese Song Class submarine, like the one that sufaced by the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk

American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board.

By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

According to senior Nato officials the incident caused consternation in the U.S. Navy.

The Americans had no idea China's fast-growing submarine fleet had reached such a level of sophistication, or that it posed such a threat.

One Nato figure said the effect was "as big a shock as the Russians launching Sputnik" - a reference to the Soviet Union's first orbiting satellite in 1957 which marked the start of the space age.

The incident, which took place in the ocean between southern Japan and Taiwan, is a major embarrassment for the Pentagon.

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Kitty Hawk

Battle stations: The Kitty Hawk carries 4,500 personnel

The lone Chinese vessel slipped past at least a dozen other American warships which were supposed to protect the carrier from hostile aircraft or submarines.

And the rest of the costly defensive screen, which usually includes at least two U.S. submarines, was also apparently unable to detect it.

According to the Nato source, the encounter has forced a serious re-think of American and Nato naval strategy as commanders reconsider the level of threat from potentially hostile Chinese submarines.

It also led to tense diplomatic exchanges, with shaken American diplomats demanding to know why the submarine was "shadowing" the U.S. fleet while Beijing pleaded ignorance and dismissed the affair as coincidence.

Analysts believe Beijing was sending a message to America and the West demonstrating its rapidly-growing military capability to threaten foreign powers which try to interfere in its "backyard".

The People's Liberation Army Navy's submarine fleet includes at least two nuclear-missile launching vessels.

Its 13 Song Class submarines are extremely quiet and difficult to detect when running on electric motors.

Commodore Stephen Saunders, editor of Jane's Fighting Ships, and a former Royal Navy anti-submarine specialist, said the U.S. had paid relatively little attention to this form of warfare since the end of the Cold War.

He said: "It was certainly a wake-up call for the Americans.

"It would tie in with what we see the Chinese trying to do, which appears to be to deter the Americans from interfering or operating in their backyard, particularly in relation to Taiwan."

In January China carried a successful missile test, shooting down a satellite in orbit for the first time
The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced | the Daily Mail
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Why is it that whenever US rmed forces are given an unpleasant surprise its counted as asking for funds? It is possible that the chinese sub actually managed to sneak in, either due to US negligence or Chinese sub's sophisticated tech.
 
It seems strange to me. Song class isnt that sophisticated for the defensive US naval fleet to know about its presence. In my opinion US is up to something, they wana now present the world another communist threat like the soviets in the past to draw more funds for the military and to find an excuse in the future to keep their presence futhure in the waters near southern Japan and taiwan coast.
 
thats strange....but why U.S.S carriers or ship didn't detect that sub...although they have very advanced technology...there may be a possibility that Chiness are using some sort of stealth sub...isn't so...however this is a strange new...
 
It seems strange to me. Song class isnt that sophisticated for the defensive US naval fleet to know about its presence. In my opinion US is up to something, they wana now present the world another communist threat like the soviets in the past to draw more funds for the military and to find an excuse in the future to keep their presence futhure in the waters near southern Japan and taiwan coast.

I think that you are underestimate the chinese subs dont forget the saying "never underestimate your opponent"
 
How did it slip by? A valid question.

12 ships DESIGNED to detect it, didn't.
 
Am agree with webby, if you guys remember US-Indian air force exercise. US airforc gave too many plus point and showed to congress, that even Indian airforce has better arsenal then US. And showed Russian are ahead in airforce development. Just to get approve further development of F35 and F22 program. Its all basically drama. Otherwise no match of US power.
 
It is not feasible to just pop up with today's detection systems and that too with so many ships abound.

I agree with the comments of the Webmaster that this is a cute way to increase the funding.
 
I think that you are underestimate the chinese subs dont forget the saying "never underestimate your opponent"

No i am not underestimating anything, but dont you think its strange to just pop up between the ships and none of them actually knew about its presence with all the lastest sonars and everything hightec. my mind is not willing to accept it, US is pretending that chinese are way ahead of them and so they need more funding from congress.
 
so we may say that all this incident is due to the carelessness of the U.S.S, but are all the U.S sailors or marines were sleeping...i can't still understand.
 
It seems strange to me. Song class isnt that sophisticated for the defensive US naval fleet to know about its presence. In my opinion US is up to something, they wana now present the world another communist threat like the soviets in the past to draw more funds for the military and to find an excuse in the future to keep their presence futhure in the waters near southern Japan and taiwan coast.

i think your opinion is not sophisticated . up to now ,it is not report about this affair in chinese meida or newspapaer.it is very similar with shooting down a satellite in orbit for the first time. moreover,Beijing pleaded ignorance and dismissed the affair as coincidence. anther means ,it is really . had occur.

and it is difficult for any navy to detect a sub.song class or others is not import for this affiar. because it is able to slipped past US 's defence.
to detect a sub in the ocean looking for a needle in a bottle of hay.
 

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