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Damn. 6000m? A nuclear sub at that depth would be unreachable by surface/aerial ASW systems and can provide definite nuclear deterrence.

irq 7y ago
Nuclear as in nuclear powered. Not as in, can launch nuclear weapons.
- jacobush 7y ago
  Adding a nuclear weapon to a nuclear powered sub is surely not that hard. The big news is a nuclear powered sub capable of going that deep.
  - SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
    I thought running for a very long time without needing to surface was the entire point of nuclear subs?
    - jacobush 7y ago
      Yes, but "normal" nuclear subs can still not go very deep without being crushed. Thus, they can still be hunted for. But a nuclear sub which can go thousands of meters deep in hiding mode, would change the theater of war considerably.
    - neuronic 7y ago
      Noise is another point. Diesel engines are louder and if there's one thing you want to be as a military submarine it is silent.
  - saberdancer 7y ago
    It's not that simple. Launching an nuclear weapon from the deep is very hard, normal nuclear missile subs do not launch from deep. There are multiple reason for this. One of them is that they eject the missile by using steam/gas, if you are too deep, your missile won't reach the surface and thus won't be able to fly away. Second reason is that the missile and the missile tube needs to be under normal pressure. Missiles aren't built to handle hundreds of atmospheres of pressure even if the sub could eject them into the water.
    - jacobush 7y ago
      I know. I was thinking about the scenario hiding very deep, and only surface to strike. You could deliver M.A.D. even months after the earth bound battle has come to a halt. Besides, the talk was also about a submarine drone more like a long range torpedo. While you maybe can't launch such a thing from the very deep, at least you should be able to launch it from much deeper than a missile.
jacobush 7y ago
And because of virtually limitless power, it could crack water and produce oxygen for the crew for months submerged.
tapland 7y ago
For reference: The Seawolf Class submarines have a test depth of 490 m.
Emma_Goldman 7y ago
It's unlikely that it can stay at those depths for long periods of time.

irq 7y ago

Nuclear as in nuclear powered. Not as in, can launch nuclear weapons.

jacobush 7y ago
Adding a nuclear weapon to a nuclear powered sub is surely not that hard. The big news is a nuclear powered sub capable of going that deep.
- SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
  I thought running for a very long time without needing to surface was the entire point of nuclear subs?
  - jacobush 7y ago
    Yes, but "normal" nuclear subs can still not go very deep without being crushed. Thus, they can still be hunted for. But a nuclear sub which can go thousands of meters deep in hiding mode, would change the theater of war considerably.
  - neuronic 7y ago
    Noise is another point. Diesel engines are louder and if there's one thing you want to be as a military submarine it is silent.
- saberdancer 7y ago
  It's not that simple. Launching an nuclear weapon from the deep is very hard, normal nuclear missile subs do not launch from deep. There are multiple reason for this. One of them is that they eject the missile by using steam/gas, if you are too deep, your missile won't reach the surface and thus won't be able to fly away. Second reason is that the missile and the missile tube needs to be under normal pressure. Missiles aren't built to handle hundreds of atmospheres of pressure even if the sub could eject them into the water.
  - jacobush 7y ago
    I know. I was thinking about the scenario hiding very deep, and only surface to strike. You could deliver M.A.D. even months after the earth bound battle has come to a halt. Besides, the talk was also about a submarine drone more like a long range torpedo. While you maybe can't launch such a thing from the very deep, at least you should be able to launch it from much deeper than a missile.

jacobush 7y ago

And because of virtually limitless power, it could crack water and produce oxygen for the crew for months submerged.

tapland 7y ago

For reference: The Seawolf Class submarines have a test depth of 490 m.

Emma_Goldman 7y ago

It's unlikely that it can stay at those depths for long periods of time.