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Modern Submarine Discussions

It was an experimental vessel used for testing propulsion systems, hull forms, and boundary-layer control techniques. Moth-balled around 1998. Dang, look at that rust eating away the coning tower. Not much different in size from a Kilo, it would appear...

OxTf6.jpg
 
Type 216
Displacement ~4,000 tons
Engines Diesel Electric with AIP
Builder HDW - TKMS Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH
Dimensions
Length Overall: approx. 89m
Height Above Sail: approx. 15 m
Hull Diameter: approx. 8.1 m
Maximum Draft: approx. 6.6 m


JMSDF Soryu class
Displacement: Surfaced: 2,900 tonnes (2,854 long tons)
Submerged: 4,200 t (4,134 long tons)
Length: 84.0 m (275 ft 7 in)
Beam: 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)
Draught: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)

1920px-JS_Hakuryu_%28SS-503%29_arrives_at_Joint_Base_Pearl_Harbor-Hickam_for_a_scheduled_port_visit%2C_-6_Feb._2013_%28YP255-023%29.jpg
 
Spain spent $680 million on submarine that ‘can’t resurface’
Spain spent $680 million on submarine that ‘can’t resurface’ — RT News


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Navantia demonstrates the main electric motor for the first S-80 class submarine (Photo: navantia.es)

EU, Europe, Military,Modernization, Navy,Thrills&Spills
Spanish engineers, who already spent some $680 million on designing the new generation S-80 class submarine, say it is a major “technical innovation.” There is just one problem the calculations show – if submerged into water, it may never come up again.

The Spanish media has been furiously discussing the errors made by the state-owned Navantia construction company, which has spent about a third of the huge $2.2 billion budget only to produce an ‘overweight’ submarine that is not able to float.

Spain’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Navantia detected“deviations” in the new submarine’s design, thus delaying its March 2015 scheduled launch for one or two years.

Navantia said an excess weight of up to 100 tons has been added to the sub during construction, and the company may have to redesign the whole craft.

The excess weight may result in significant problem in the craft’s buoyancy and severely affect its ability to submerge and resurface from depth, the local media explained.

To ensure the submarine does not sink, Navantia considers lengthening its hull in order to re-balance the weight, infodefensa.com said, citing sources.



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A computer-generation image of the S-80 class submarine (Image: navantia.es)



But each extra meter of the sub will reportedly cost the austerity-stricken state more than €7.5 million ($9.7 million).

Spain’s opposition party United Left has mocked the submarine development in parliament and demanded explanations.

The Ministry of Defense downplayed the clamor, saying adjustments and delays in such complex technological projects are “within normality.” The ministry is now “studying the scope of the problem to determine its impact in terms of time and money” and is considering “various alternatives.”

A delegation from the local College of Industrial Engineers in Murcia region on Tuesday visited the Navantia facilities and spoke in support of the company’s engineers “facing unprecedented technological solutions,” La Verdad said. Navantia’s “technical innovation” is an even more challenging task, given that the plant has to build “four submarines simultaneously,”said the Dean of the College Andres Ortuno.

While the Spanish state is waiting for the four S-80 class submarines to be modified and completed, it will only have two submarines in service – and may have to spend €30 million ($38.8 million) to repair the aging S-74 Tramontana.

The unexpected costs come at a time when Spain’s Ministry of Defense has seen its budget cut by some 30 per cent as part of austerity measures.

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S-80: A Sub, for Spain, to Sail Out on the Main

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Service delay to 2018 forces life extension of Agosta Class subs.

May 24/14: S-70 LEX.Spain is forced to extend the operational life of its S-70 Agosta Class boat Tramonta, because the S-80 submarine Issac Peral isn’t expected until 2018 now. The cost of S74 Tramonta’s refit has risen from EUR 30 million to EUR 42.9 million after the last budget, in order to extend the boat’s life to compensate for the S-80 program’s 5-year delay.

Spain’s entire budget is under huge pressure, but they didn’t have much choice with this. The Agosta Class submarines S71 Galerna reportedly has just 2 years of safe service life left, and Spain needs to have at least 2 submarines in its fleet to meet NATO commitments in the Mediterranean. The current plan is to keep S73 Mistral in service, and use S74 Tramonta’s enhanced servicing overhaul to ensure that she is the 2nd boat.

On the other hand, El Confidencial also reports that Spain won’t increase the S-80′s EUR 2.136 billion budget to deal with its weight issues and delays. Even though changing specifications from the Navy may be partly to blame. That could end up cutting the S-80 program to 3 boats. Sources: El Confidencial, “El retraso del S-80 obliga a invertir 43 M€ para mantener un submarino con 29 anos”.

Jan 20/14: Delays.Spanish paper El Confidencial reports that S81 Issac Peral won’t be operational until 2018. Apparently, the dates bandied about in meetings between Navantia and the government keep on getting later, with about 4 more years of design, testing, and training left to go before the sub can be operational.

As a result, Spain will have to approve additional funds to keep 2 Agosta Class boats in service until 2018 at least. If the S-80′s program budget can’t be increased, Spain may also have to cut 1 submarine from the build plan.

The CIM-2000 Scorpene class diesel-electric attack submarine partnership was just the first step for Spain’s Navantia, as it joined with France’s DCNS to enter the global submarine market. Now Navantia is building on that base of expertise, to field its own S-80 Class for the Spanish Armada. Spain’s new submarines will be larger boats than Navantia/DCNS’ Scorpene Class, with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems as standard gear, and completely new designs for both external shape and internal systems.

S-80: A Sub, for Spain, to Sail Out on the Main
 
French sub History
In the 1980s France began studies for the replacement of their S-60 Daphné class diesel submarines. The French shipyard DCNI came up with an all-new design called S-80, with a teardrop hull and new weapons and sensors, which their government decided not to fund.[7]


DCNI then proposed a cheaper option called the S-90B, an S-70Agosta class submarine with limited improvements which was again rejected by the French but which was exported to Pakistan.[7]


Meanwhile Spain faced the same problem in replacing their Daphnés, known as the Delfín class in Spanish service, as part of Plan ALTAMAR. Bazán (later Izar, and then Navantia) started on a new design but when it started to look like the S-80, it was agreed to collaborate in a joint venture based on the French S-80.[7] This joint design was shown at Le Bourget Navale in October 1990.[7]

The end of the Cold War meant that funding dried up and the joint venture had to wait until 1997 for their first sale - to Chile - of the new design,[8] which was designated the Scorpène class in export markets. The same year Spain started to look again at its requirements, and in 1998 they indicated that they would buy four Scorpènes,[7] optionally with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system for greater endurance when submerged. A staff requirement for the S-80 Scorpène variant was completed in October 2001.[9] This was soon overtaken by events, as the Armada became more interested in using submarines for power projection than in a more static, defensive role.[9] This shift was codified in guidance of January 2002 from the Chief of Naval Operations and in the strategic defence review of February 2003.[9]


The new requirement called for a larger submarine with better endurance and land-attack missiles, which became known as the S-80A design. This was an AIP submarine with a hull diameter of 7.3 metres (24 ft) compared to 6.2 metres (20 ft) for the Scorpène family, a submerged displacement of around 2,400 tonnes versus 1,740 tonnes, larger rudder surfaces and a different fin position.[9]

The Spanish government approved the purchase of four S-80A submarines in September 2003 and signed a contract with Izar on 24 March 2004.[10] The original deal was €1,756m to design and build four submarines,[10]about US$550m per boat, but by 2010 this had increased to €2,212m[11] (US$700m/boat). The plan envisaged the first boat to be delivered in 2011 but government dithering over who should supply the combat system pushed it back to 2013.[9] In 2011 Spain's budget crisis further delayed the first delivery until 2015, with the remaining boats being delivered at one year intervals until 2018.[12]

Construction of S-81 began on 13 December 2007.[13] In January 2012 the names were announced, honouring three engineers who made submarines and the first commander of Spain's submarine force respectively - Isaac Peral (S-81), Narciso Monturiol (S-82), Cosme García (S-83) and Mateo García de los Reyes (S-84).[14]

In May 2013, Navantia announced that a serious weight imbalance design flaw had been identified which will delay the delivery of the first submarine to the Spanish Navy until possibly 2017.[15] Excess weight of 75 - 100 tons has been added to the sub during construction and the current design is not able to resurface after diving.[16][17] A former Spanish official says the problem can be traced to a miscalculation — someone apparently put a decimal point in the wrong place or by the addition of new technologic devices.[18] Lengthening the submarine would create additional buoyancy, though at a cost of €7.5m per metre.[16] With the project also suffering with an underperforming AIP system (which was to allow the submarine to stay underway for 28 days but was only managing 21 days) the Spanish Defence Ministry announced in June 2013 that Navantia has signed on the US company General Dynamics Electric Boat to help solve the excess weight.[19] In September 2014, the detected overweight was reported to have been resolved and the construction work to be ready to resume in late October 2014.[20] In November 2014, Navantia again reported having completed the redesign work to address the problem of overweight. In all, the hull will be lengthened by seven metres, and the displacement increased by 75 tons. The intended delivery date of the first submarine is 2018.

---
What you should know the S80 program


By Cesar Pintado - Atenea.digital

Far from being an advanced derivative of the French Scorpène, the S-80 Spaniards are far ahead of the last submarine diesel-electric propulsion. For example, compared to the AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) Classic, the advantage of S-80 is its propulsion technology: does not depend on hydrogen, bioethanol used as fuel and also has a fuel cell that does not need a hydrogen 100% pure.
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The idea is to convert the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena in an international leader in the design and construction of submarine AIP propulsion, and it is getting. The navies of Australia, Norway and India are already interested in the S-80. A potential of up to 30 units, you can not miss, but more on that demand.

The development of the S-80 began over three decades ago when the first preliminary studies (1982-1991) began to be realized. They clearly saw the need to separate the draft platform combat system.For propulsion is even considered the possibility of providing the submarine with a nuclear reactor low power, although that option was soon discarded.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, the definition of the program was conducted. In the second quarter of 1997, the S-80 program with the beginning of the conceptual phase of the project is restarted. The feasibility study is carried out throughout 1998 and the first quarter of 2000 are now available in the "Basic Project Ship". The following year the operational requirements of the new submarines are updated and throughout 2003 the necessary documentation for the development and construction phase develops. The order of execution of the first four submarines of the series was signed in March 2004.

At the end of the S-80 program was conceived as two separate projects but integrated, first platform, Navantia responsibility, and secondly the combat system with Lockheed Martin and Navantia. The delays accumulated in the past two decades largely due to doubts and hesitations of the Navy, the shortage of budgets and changes in priorities.
Other causes were the selection of technology partners, changes in the project and the need they could launch cruise missiles.
So the consortium for the development and commercialization of a new submarine for export, participated equally between Navantia and DCNS was created. Over the years there were statements that pointed to the Scorpène could finally be the submarine S-80, but was delayed project itself forcing it to seek a more advanced product.

Finally, in early January 2004 the green light was given to four units.Although the first delivery was scheduled for 2011, various technical problems had to be delayed until 2015 and finally to 2016 or 2017 target with the current working after solving the latest technical problems identified, related to overweight and excessive size of its propulsion unit.

In principle, it is estimated that the construction period of the four units planned to ten years, invested in each sub 69 months followed by a testing period of 24 months for the first of the series, which is now the S-82- and 15 for the remaining time now possibly be shortened.

While S-80 are designed to perform missions diversified interests, remain classic submarine warfare, surface warfare, naval force protection, mining training offensive and surface ships, planes and helicopters in anti-submarine warfare. Another interesting facet constitute intelligence operations and surveillance.

Apart from this, it is considered a program of strategic importance because these ships equipped with cruise missiles, are important ground attack vector and an essential element of deterrence.

The Agosta-class submarines are French diesel attack submarines (SSKs) used by Spain, Pakistan and formerly by France. The French Navy grouped this model of submarine in their most capable class as an océanique, meaning "ocean-going." A modernised version built for Pakistan, the Agosta 90B, has a crew of 36 plus 5 officers and can be equipped with the MESMA air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.
The Agosta 90B, also known as the Khalid-class, is a modernised design built for the Pakistan Navy. Various modifications give lower acoustic signature, lower diving depth, improved battery range and performance. Greater automation also allows the crew to be reduced from 54 to 36. The submarine can be armed with up to 16 torpedoes and SM39 Exocetanti-ship missiles




SSK Agosta 90B Class Attack Submarine Information Pool

The Evolution Of The Submarine As A Warship
China’s Submarine Fleet Evolution
 
@Penguin

what is the difference between
Ballistic missile submarine
and
Cruise missile submarine
Ohio class Ballistic missile submarine- 18 in service (of which 4 have been converted into cruise missile submarines)

regards
The type of missiles carried.

Ballistic missile followes a ballistic trajectory are very high speed (i.e. a ROCKET like German V2)
Cruise missile is a flying bomb (like German V1)

A ballistic missile is a missile (rocket) that follows a ballistic trajectory with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. A ballistic missile is only guided (there are unguided ballistic missiles as well: 9K52 Luna-M) during relatively brief periods of flight, and most of its trajectory is unpowered and governed by gravity (and air resistance if in the atmosphere). This contrasts to a cruise missile which is aerodynamically guided in powered flight. Long range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) are launched at a steep, sub-orbital flight trajectory and spend most of their flight out of the atmosphere. Shorter range ballistic missiles stay within the Earth's atmosphere.
Ballistic missile - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In naval terms: Polaris versus Tomahawk
 
Submarines are considered not just as a seagoing vessel, but a dangerous weapon in its own right. It is hidden from the naked eye, has the ability to stay under water for months on end and can carry and fire missiles that could sink even the sturdiest ship and flatten entire cities. During World War I, it took the action of a German submarine to draw the United States into the war. A German submarine, or U-boat, had torpedoed and sunk the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner that was traveling from New York to Liverpool. American lives were lost, even as the Germans claimed that the British were using the passenger ship to ferry ammunitions. While the German charge turned out to be correct, the deaths of 128 Americans were enough to enrage public opinion against the Germans.

Here is a list of the top 10 deadliest submarines in the world today.



10. Los Angeles Class, United States
LA.jpg

There are around 44 active units of Los Angeles class submarine in the world today out of the 62 that have been built. It can race at speeds of 20 knots when on the surface and up to over 33 knots when submerged. It has an endurance of 30 days and its range means refueling is only needed after 30 years. It carries four Tomahawk land attack missiles, Harpoon anti-surface ship missile, mine-laying Mk67s, and Mk60 captor mines. It is the spine of the US Navy capable of hunting down enemy submarines as well as gathering intelligence.



9. Rubis Class, France

Only six units of the Rubis class submarine have been built. It can go at a speed of over 25 knots and has a refueling range of over 20 years. It is armed with four anti-submarine tubes and 14 Exocet missiles. It also has the ability to lay out mines. The vessel was introduced in 1979 and is part of the first generation of nuclear attack submarines of the country’s navy.



8. Victor III Class, Russia
Victor_III_class_submarine.jpg

There were 48 Victor III class submarines built by the old Soviet Union, though only four remains in active service with the Russian Navy. Its speed is at 32 knots and it boasts of an 80-day endurance level. It only needs to be refueled after over 30 years. It carries two Starfish anti-submarine missiles, two Sampson cruise missiles or two Stallion missiles, six bow tubes and 18 torpedoes. It can also carry 36 ground mines in lieu of the torpedoes. These were originally built to protect Soviet surface ships and to attack enemy submarines.



7. Sierra Class, Russia

Only four units were built by the old Soviet Union, with two remaining in active service. The vessel can go up to 10 knots when surfaced and to more than 32 knots when submerged. It has an endurance of more than 200 days with unlimited range. It carries Starfish or Stallion anti-submarine missiles, Samson cruise missiles, four torpedo tubes or 42 mines. It boasts of a titanium hull, allowing it to dive deeper and to withstand torpedo attacks.



6. Trafalgar Class, United Kingdom
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There are still six units active of the seven originally built. Speed is at 30 knots, while endurance can go up to 90 days along with an unlimited range. It carries five torpedo tubes, Tomahawk cruise missiles, Spearfish torpedoes and Harpoon anti-surface missiles. It also has the Sonar 2076. The submarine was the pride of the Royal Navy before the advent of the more advanced Astute Class.



5. Type 093 Shang Class, China
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Only three units are currently active, though the Chinese Navy are planning around five more to be deployed. It can go up to a speed of 35 knots. The vessel has an endurance of 80 days and an unlimited range. It is armed with the YJ-82 anti-ship missile and six torpedo tubes.



4. Astute Class, United Kingdom
ASTUTE-CLASS-SUBMARINE.jpeg.jpg

This is the largest and most powerful nuclear attack submarine of the Royal Navy. Its operation is said to be even more complicated than that of a space shuttle. It boasts of a modern pressurized water reactor and can carry up to 38 torpedoes. Only one is currently active, though around six more are being planned. Top speed is 29 knots, with a 90-day endurance level and unlimited range. It also has Tomahawk cruise missiles in its arsenal, as well as Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Mines can be deployed instead of the torpedoes.



3. Seawolf Class, United States
The_Seawolf.jpg

This is an advanced version of the Los Angeles class, though its prohibitive cost means that only three could be built. Top speed is 18 knots while surfaced and 35 knots when submerged. It has an unlimited range and can carry up to eight torpedo tubes for 50 torpedoes or cruise missiles. Alternatively, the vessel can also carry up to 100 mines in lieu of the missiles or torpedoes.



2. Akula II Class, Russia
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The Soviet Union built 15 units of this class, but only nine remains in active service in the Russian navy. It was the first submarine to really worry the United States because of its noise reduction system, meaning its acoustics are almost at par with the submarines produced by the West. The submarine has a top speed of 12 knots while surfaced, but can speed up to 33 knots when submerged. Endurance lasts up to 100 days while the range is effectively unlimited. It can carry four torpedo tubes for up to 40 torpedoes or missiles. It can also deploy 42 mines instead of the missiles.



1. Virginia Class, United States
the-virginia-class-submarine-is-a-new-breed-of-high-tech-post-cold-war-nuclear-subs.jpg

This was intended to replace the Los Angeles class. Its mast has high-resolution cameras, light intensification and infrared sensors, infrared laser rangefinder and integrated Electronic Support Measures array. These allow it to use telescoping photonic masts instead of the usual periscope. Seven units are in use. Top speed is 25 knots. Endurance and range are unlimited. It has 12 vertical launch system for 109 Tomahawk missiles and four bow tubes for Mk48 torpedoes. Smart mines can also be deployed instead of the torpedoes.








The Deadliest Submarines in the World - TheRichest
 
Where is japanese subs? Why the shitty chinese sub is there in top 10. Bogus rating.

Very funny. Chinese sub much ahed of Los angeles class.
 
US Navy Pursues High-Tech Submarine Upgrades

Apr 18, 2015 | by Kris Osborn

U.S. Navy leaders say the service is making progress developing new technologies to ensure the U.S. retains its technological edge in the undersea domain – as countries like China continue rapid military modernization and construction of new submarines.

When asked about the pace of Chinese undersea military construction and modernization, the Navy's Director of Undersea Warfare said the Navy is focused on sustaining the research and development, or R&D, sufficient to ensure the U.S. retains its technological superiority.

Some of the efforts are yielding near-term results in the form of the USS South Dakota, a prototype Virginia-class attack submarine engineered with a series of high-tech adjustments, Rear Adm. Joseph Tofalo told Military.com.

The innovations, which emerged from the Navy's R&D program, include quieting technologies for the engine room to make the submarine harder to detect, a new large vertical array and additional coating materials for the hull, Tofalo said.

"I have an R&D program that I fund and the sole purpose is to make sure we don't get surprised. It is about understanding the science and technology and doing our due diligence from an academic standpoint to make sure we look at all the threat vectors -- whether that be hydrodynamics, acoustics, lasers -- and all the science that is associated with all that they do," Tofalo said.

While many of the details of these new technologies are not publically available, Tofalo said some risk reduction work on these innovations has been done on the other submarines such as the USS Dallas and USS Maryland.

"The South Dakota will deliver in the next few years. I would like to think that our technological ability to maintain undersea dominance is going to help us with the capacity issue that a country like China represents," he said.

Some prominent lawmakers, such as Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Virginia, are concerned that budget constraints may impede the Navy's ability to pursue technological superiority through R&D.

"I think the number one thing that we all know is we have to get rid of sequestration and the impact that is having. It is very difficult to do research and development when we are worried about our readiness," Forbes told Military.com in an interview. "We have to be constantly monitoring what is happening with peer competitors."

Tofalo also said the U.S. military's technological is shrinking, requiring the U.S. to re-think the role of manned submarines and prioritize innovation in the realm of undersea warfare.

Defense analysts have also raised the specter that the U.S. is losing its military technological edge over adversaries. This is requiring the U.S. to re-think the role of manned submarines and prioritize innovation in the realm of undersea warfare, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

"America's superiority in undersea warfare results from decades of research and development, operations, and training. It is, however, far from assured. U.S. submarines are the world's quietest, but new detection techniques are emerging that don't rely on the noise a submarine makes, and may make traditional manned submarine operations far more risky in the future. America's competitors are likely pursuing these technologies even while expanding their own undersea forces," writes the report's author Bryan Clark.

In the report, Clark details some increasingly available technologies expected to change the equation regarding U.S. undersea technological supremacy. They include increased use of lower frequency active sonar and non-acoustic methods of detecting submarine wakes at short ranges. In particular, he cites a technique of bouncing laser light or light-emitting-diodes off of a submarine hull to detect its presence.

"The physics behind most of these alternative techniques has been known for decades, but was not exploited because computer processors were too slow to run the detailed models needed to see small changes in the environment caused by a quiet submarine. Today, 'big data'" processing enables advanced navies to run sophisticated oceanographic models in real time to exploit these detection techniques," Clark writes.

US Navy Pursues High-Tech Submarine Upgrades | Military.com
 
US Navy Pursues High-Tech Submarine Upgrades

Apr 18, 2015 | by Kris Osborn

U.S. Navy leaders say the service is making progress developing new technologies to ensure the U.S. retains its technological edge in the undersea domain – as countries like China continue rapid military modernization and construction of new submarines.

When asked about the pace of Chinese undersea military construction and modernization, the Navy's Director of Undersea Warfare said the Navy is focused on sustaining the research and development, or R&D, sufficient to ensure the U.S. retains its technological superiority.

Some of the efforts are yielding near-term results in the form of the USS South Dakota, a prototype Virginia-class attack submarine engineered with a series of high-tech adjustments, Rear Adm. Joseph Tofalo told Military.com.

The innovations, which emerged from the Navy's R&D program, include quieting technologies for the engine room to make the submarine harder to detect, a new large vertical array and additional coating materials for the hull, Tofalo said.

"I have an R&D program that I fund and the sole purpose is to make sure we don't get surprised. It is about understanding the science and technology and doing our due diligence from an academic standpoint to make sure we look at all the threat vectors -- whether that be hydrodynamics, acoustics, lasers -- and all the science that is associated with all that they do," Tofalo said.

While many of the details of these new technologies are not publically available, Tofalo said some risk reduction work on these innovations has been done on the other submarines such as the USS Dallas and USS Maryland.

"The South Dakota will deliver in the next few years. I would like to think that our technological ability to maintain undersea dominance is going to help us with the capacity issue that a country like China represents," he said.

Some prominent lawmakers, such as Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Virginia, are concerned that budget constraints may impede the Navy's ability to pursue technological superiority through R&D.

"I think the number one thing that we all know is we have to get rid of sequestration and the impact that is having. It is very difficult to do research and development when we are worried about our readiness," Forbes told Military.com in an interview. "We have to be constantly monitoring what is happening with peer competitors."

Tofalo also said the U.S. military's technological is shrinking, requiring the U.S. to re-think the role of manned submarines and prioritize innovation in the realm of undersea warfare.

Defense analysts have also raised the specter that the U.S. is losing its military technological edge over adversaries. This is requiring the U.S. to re-think the role of manned submarines and prioritize innovation in the realm of undersea warfare, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

"America's superiority in undersea warfare results from decades of research and development, operations, and training. It is, however, far from assured. U.S. submarines are the world's quietest, but new detection techniques are emerging that don't rely on the noise a submarine makes, and may make traditional manned submarine operations far more risky in the future. America's competitors are likely pursuing these technologies even while expanding their own undersea forces," writes the report's author Bryan Clark.

In the report, Clark details some increasingly available technologies expected to change the equation regarding U.S. undersea technological supremacy. They include increased use of lower frequency active sonar and non-acoustic methods of detecting submarine wakes at short ranges. In particular, he cites a technique of bouncing laser light or light-emitting-diodes off of a submarine hull to detect its presence.

"The physics behind most of these alternative techniques has been known for decades, but was not exploited because computer processors were too slow to run the detailed models needed to see small changes in the environment caused by a quiet submarine. Today, 'big data'" processing enables advanced navies to run sophisticated oceanographic models in real time to exploit these detection techniques," Clark writes.

US Navy Pursues High-Tech Submarine Upgrades | Military.com

I heard about that. Technology to see underwater instead of depending on hearing or acoustic.
 
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