4 ms·

There have been multiple instances where submarines surfaced right inside a carrier group, some in active exercises where a threat was expected. Even the Chines

by foepys 5y ago

There have been multiple instances where submarines surfaced right inside a carrier group, some in active exercises where a threat was expected. Even the Chinese did it at least once and there is a high chance that the Chinese did not surface on their first few encounters. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-492804/The-uninvited-guest-Chinese-sub-pops-middle-U-S-Navy-exercise-leaving-military-chiefs-red-faced.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-492804/The-uninvite...

scottLobster 5y ago
That was 2007, or 14 years ago. I imagine the Navy has long corrected whatever error allowed that to happen, particularly given that China is now seen as a geopolitical adversary by a majority of Americans across the political spectrum. Even if China did get extremely lucky and took out a couple of carriers in the opening shots of any conflict, there'd be several more on their doorstep within weeks at a far higher state of readiness.
seaorg 5y ago
That’s inexplicable because spotting that submarine is completely trivial. They run on diesel if I’m not mistaken, even now. You could easily blanket the area below you with radar. They must have simply not been looking, probably because there wasn’t any threat at all of attack.
- DocTomoe 5y ago
  And that laissez-faire attitude towards operational security is what an adversary would count upon in a sneak-attack first strike scenario. Remember the USS Cole?
- sofixa 5y ago
  The Swedish sub that surprised a US carrier at a training exercise was indeed diesel-electric, which is a great advantage. When stealth is required, they can use only their electric engine, or even stop it all together if the enemy is very close and listening. With a nuclear sub, the reactor and its cooling are always there.
  - flohofwoe 5y ago
    I think the secret ingredient of "the Swedish submarine that sank an US aircraft carrier" is the Stirling engine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotland-class_submarine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotland-class_submarine
    - sofixa 5y ago
      Ah indeed, forgot that tiny bit.
- touisteur 5y ago
  Blanket the area below, as well as detect incoming very fast and small RCS objects, furtive aircrafts, small surface vessels, all on high sea clutter... I feel people have a very inflated idea of the actual performance and capabilities of on-ship multimission radars.

by foepys 5y ago

scottLobster 5y ago

That was 2007, or 14 years ago. I imagine the Navy has long corrected whatever error allowed that to happen, particularly given that China is now seen as a geopolitical adversary by a majority of Americans across the political spectrum. Even if China did get extremely lucky and took out a couple of carriers in the opening shots of any conflict, there'd be several more on their doorstep within weeks at a far higher state of readiness.

seaorg 5y ago

That’s inexplicable because spotting that submarine is completely trivial. They run on diesel if I’m not mistaken, even now. You could easily blanket the area below you with radar. They must have simply not been looking, probably because there wasn’t any threat at all of attack.

DocTomoe 5y ago
And that laissez-faire attitude towards operational security is what an adversary would count upon in a sneak-attack first strike scenario. Remember the USS Cole?
sofixa 5y ago
The Swedish sub that surprised a US carrier at a training exercise was indeed diesel-electric, which is a great advantage. When stealth is required, they can use only their electric engine, or even stop it all together if the enemy is very close and listening. With a nuclear sub, the reactor and its cooling are always there.
- flohofwoe 5y ago
  I think the secret ingredient of "the Swedish submarine that sank an US aircraft carrier" is the Stirling engine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotland-class_submarine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotland-class_submarine
  - sofixa 5y ago
    Ah indeed, forgot that tiny bit.
touisteur 5y ago
Blanket the area below, as well as detect incoming very fast and small RCS objects, furtive aircrafts, small surface vessels, all on high sea clutter... I feel people have a very inflated idea of the actual performance and capabilities of on-ship multimission radars.