April 29, 2015

Suspected Russian Mini-Submarine Near Helsinki, Finland

Indicating where suspected Russian mini-submarines were detected near Helsinki Harbour (late April 2015) and near Stockholm (October 2014 and January 2015).
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Helsinki Harbour. Suspected Russian (probably) mini-submarine detected late April 2015. There would probably be sea-floor anti-submarine sensors arrays outside Helsinki Harbour (like Sweden's Malsten array). 
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There were many reports in the world media on April 28-29, 2015 that Finland's Navy had detected what was assumed to be a Russian submarine within Finland's territorial waters off Helsinki.

HNGN, April 28, 2015 reported: "Our sensors detected something, an uncertain underwater object, at lunchtime on Monday April 27, 2015] and then again overnight," Captain Olavi Jantunen told Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, reported the Guardian. "Three [grenade] charges were dropped, but they were warning charges, with a light burst, meant to warn rather than do any harm to the object."

Jantunen said it's impossible to determine what the object was until a complete analysis has been performed on the sensor data, which could take as long as three weeks [takes about 3 minutes], according to the Guardian.

The [Finnish] defense ministry issued the following statement: "As part of the tasks to protect territorial integrity, the maritime surveillance system alerted the Finnish Navy of a possible underwater target around midday on 27 April 2015. The possible target was located within territorial waters, close to the limit of territorial waters off Helsinki. A search was then conducted by surface vessels."...

BACKGROUND AND COMMENT

The (probably) Russian mini-submarine or large diameter unmanned undersea vehicle (LDUUV) may be there to "trip" or test Finnish sensors or to make Finland politically nervous. This is like the Russian aircraft incursions - part of Putin's confrontational style. The mini-submarine may be a development of Russia's Losos-Pirana.

The Finnish Navy would have determined very quickly - via tell-tale sensor "signatures" - what type of undersea craft has trespassed Finland's territorial waters. For diplomatic-political reasons Finland would not accuse the trespasser, particularly if it is powerful and combative Russia. Though part of the European Union Finland maintains a careful neutral policy.

 The "sensors" used to alert the Finnish Navy may be hydrophones, magnetic anomally and other wireless or fixed sea-floor arrays deployed inside Finland's territorial waters. Nokia Data Systems equipped the Finnish military with an integrated coastal surveillance system - according to a late 1990s report. This system would now be very high-tech with many of the sensor uprgrades and increased computer processing power available today. Even quite a small mini-submarine or LDUUV might be detected. Sweden's has its own Malsten Station array which would most probably have been  much improved since the 1980s.

The grenades used may be Saab ASW-601s [right-click mouse to translate into English] fitted to multiple grenade launchers on such Finnish vessels as the Hamina class missile boats. These grenades may have been aimed away from the suspected submarine/LDUUV or have adjustable burst features.

See Submarine Matters reports of October 25, 2015 and January 15, 2015 on Sweden's late 2014-early 2015 experience of suspected Russian mini-submarines or LDUUVs.

Pete

April 27, 2015

Singapore's Submarine Service - from Sweden to Germany

A Dolphin 2 under construction in Kiel, Germany. Note complex rudder for tight turns in tight spots. Note the hard looking underbody for taking scrapes and sitting on the bottom (of the Malacca Strait)?
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Inside view of a Dolphin 2. Might Singapore's 218SGs look like this? 
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Singapore has worked closely with Sweden over two decades to build up a relaunched, but efficient, submarine service to meet Singapore's (presumably) short distance needs. Due to a uncharacteristically shortsighted Swedish decision in 1999 to sell its submarine builder to its German competitor this Swedish-Singaporean relationship appears to be gradually drawing to a close.

Singapore is maintaining a fleet of four operational submarines with the retirement of two of its older Challenger class submarines, RSS Challenger and RSS Centurion on March 11, 2015.

Singapore's submarine service now consists of:

RSS Conqueror (Challenger class) launched 1967, relaunched 1999 - in semi-service to 2021? 
- RSS Chieftain (Challenger class) launched 1968, relaunched 2001 - in semi-service to 2022?

- RSS Archer (Archer class
- RSS Swordsman (Archer class)

All four submarines were built by Sweden's Kockums, were formerly in the Swedish Navy and will be replaced by (eventually four) German built TKMS-HDW 218SGs. This Swedish to German change directly followed Sweden's error in selling Kockums to HDW. Kockums was returned too late
 to Swedish (Saab) control in 2014 to avert the loss of new Singaporean business to Germany (TKMS-HDW). 

It remains unclear what the two TKMS-HDW 218SGs, when handed over to Singapore in 2020-2022, will most resemble - 212s, 214s, 216s or Dolphin 2s? The 218s will probably feature fuel-cell AIP and perhaps Lithium-ion batteries permitting an endurance of eleven weeks of which four weeks might be continuously submerged. They may also have a land attack capability and eventually Seal Delivery Vehicles and Large Diameter UUVs for surveillance in the shallows.

To pack all these features in a 218 would suggest a heavier sub than the Archer class (1,400 tonnes  surfaced) perhaps as heavy as the 2,000 tonne (surfaced) Dolphin 2. As the combined price of the 218s is less than US$2 Billion perhaps they are not as radically new as my 2014 prediction of a 3,000 tonne submarine?

Pete

April 24, 2015

Soryus on Lithium-ion Batteries an Evolution Not Revolution

The following is mainly drawn from discussions between "S" and Pete on the Comments thread for Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Issues of April 23, 2015. A big thankyou to S for doing the estimates and providing other comments. 


Reuters reported November 19, 2014 that Australia wants its future submarines to use Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and no AIP. 

S advises that originally Stirling AIP was unpopular in the Japanese Navy, because of its low power (2.5knots) and complicated operation. For Japan AIP was only a temporary measure on the Soryu until Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) became a more mature technology.

Looking at the Table at the bottom of this article you will see the first tranch (Mark 1) of what may eventually be up to 12 Soryu submarines are known as “16SSin red. 16 is the last two digits of the Soryu’s first of class’s “Building no. 8116” and “SS” means conventional submarine. The “Soryu” 16SS was commissioned in 2009. 16SS is diesel-electric with lead-acid batteries and Stirling AIP.

Published figures for 16SS range/speed (see sidebar of Wiki) would most likely be for semi-submerged snorkel/snorting mode. 16SS fully submerged (no snorkel use) figures are classified but S’s estimate for submerged speed and endurance is 6 knots for 3 days.

The aim of S's input is to give an estimate for the fully submerged range/speed of the second tranch Mark 2 Soryu’s further down the Table, known as 28SS in red. The first of class 28SS may be commissioned in 2022. It will not have AIP but instead will have new Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

As yardsticks for comparision are:

- the Collins submarine, has lead-acid batteries totalling 400 tonnes. Its submerged speed x duration = approximate range is 4 knots for 5 days = 480 nautical miles.

- while German submarine U-32's (a HDW 212A) 2013 test using an initial diesel engine charge  with lead-acid batteries then fuel-cell AIP charging the batteries achieving 6 knots for 20 days = 2,800 nautical miles.   

S estimates 28SS (using Lithium-ion Batteries) submerged speed x duration = approximate range will be 4 knots for 30 days = 2,900 nautical miles. 

S's calculations are on the Comments thread here.

PETE'S COMMENT

One must remember that the above are estimates based on several assumptions. It indicates that in terms of range LIB will be similar to AIP using lead-acid batteries. However using AIP and LIBs a sub would have a much longer range submerged performance. The safety-danger issue for AIP from fire is higly significant - so it and other LIB - AIP comparitive issues will be discussed in a future article.  Ultimately issues and comparisons will only be possible once Mark 2 Soryus (28SS) and HDW subs with AIP and LIBs come into service after 2022 or so.

Australia would want a transit speed (Fleet Base West, Rockingham, Western Australia to around Darwin and alternatively Rockingham to Sydney) of perhaps 12 knots. After that an Australian sub may rely on much more fully submerged LIB use in order to stay out of view of Chinese satellites (keeping away from Chinese undersea sensor arrays is another problem).

Variables that are difficult to predict are whether the next tranche Mark 2 Soryus (28SS) is larger or smaller than 16SS or whether Japan may build an Australia-only version.

LIBs and/or AIP still will not compare to the performance of nuclear propulsion. 

Two useful two web documents are:

-  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(physics) , “Drag at high velocity”“Power” (in fluid dynamics 6 knot/h is high velocity).

-  https://samueldavey.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/fluid-dynamics-submarine-report.pdf an Australian Maritime College paper of 30 pages. This is especially interesting. It draws on Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) findings. It explains why submarines are shaped as they are and what modifications can make them move more efficiently.

For further information on LIB issues and other Soryu issues see many more articles on Submarine Matters, including:


MHI and KHI not at Australia's Future Submarine Summit, Adelaide, March 24-26, 2015 of March 24, 2015, and

Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Issues of April 23, 2015.

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Soryu 16SS can be called "Soryu Mark 1s" with Stirling AIP. Future Soryu 28SS can be called "Soryu Mark 2s" with no Stirling AIP but they will have Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). 


SS
No.
Building
No.
Pennant
No.
Name/Namesake
LAB or LIB & AIP *
Laid Down
Laun
-ched
Commi-ssioned
Built
By
16SS
8116
SS-501
Sōryū (そうりゅう) / Blue Dragon
LAB + AIP
March 2005
Dec 2007
March
2009
MHI
17SS
8117
SS-502
Unryū (うんりゅう) / Cloud Dragon
LAB + AIP
March 2006
Oct 2008
March
2010
KSC
18SS
8118
SS-503
Hakuryū (はくりゅう) / White Dragon
LAB + AIP
Feb 2007
Oct 2009
March
2011
MHI
19SS
8119
SS-504
Kenryū (けんりゅう) / Sword Dragon
LAB + AIP
March 2008
Nov 2010
March
2012
KSC
20SS
8120
SS-505
Zuiryu (けんりゅう) / Sword Dragon
LAB + AIP
March 2009
Oct 2011
March
2013
MHI
22SS
8122
SS-506
Kokuryū (こくりゅう) / Black Dragon
LAB + AIP
January 2011
Oct 2013
March
2014
KSC
23SS
8123
SS-507
Jinryū (じんりゅう)/ Benevolent Dragon
LAB + AIP
Feb 2012
Nov 2014
March
2016?
MHI
24SS
8124
SS-508
?
LAB + AIP
2013
2015?
2017
KSC
25SS
8125
SS-509
?
LAB + AIP
2014
2016?
2018
MHI
26SS
8126
SS-510
?
LAB + AIP
2015
2017?
2019
KSC
27SS
8127
SS-511
Soryu Mark 2 
LIB only
2016?
2018?
2020?
MHI
28SS
8128
SS-512
?
LIB only
2017?
2019?
2021?
KSC
29SS
8129
SS-513
LIB only
2018?
2020?
2022?
MHI






























 1st Australian class?





* LAB means Lead Acid Battery, LIB is Lithium-ion Battery, AIP is Air Independent Propulsion

29SS will be a new submarine class (no longer called Soryu). 

New features for the Next-Generation Submarine - 29SS - may include:
-  A more effective and powerful snorkel generation system for recharging the LIBs.
-  A next generation sonar system
-  Introduction of the Next-Generation heavyweight torpedo known as G-RX6.
-  An improved platform to reduce vibrations. This platform will be more impact resistant.

Again thankyou S for doing most of the work :)

Regards


Pete