Ghalib Kabir, on October 28, 2021, invited my assessment on advances in 1. AUVs/UUVs 2. Small Subs (up to 600 tons) and 3. Minisubs (up to 300 tons). The opaque and secret nature of all these undersea machines means my assessment is subjective .
As an aside Ghalib’s request was just in time, because I’m suffering interminable AUKUS nuclear sub (aka Aus-SSN) writing numbness.
My necessarily subjective assessments are:
1. The US has been ahead with large AUVs/UUVs for more than a decade - particularly with the Project Orca (was Echo Voyager) and see my 2016 article.
Russia's huge Poseidon, aka Status-6, nuclear warhead torpedo UUV "drone" remains highly secret technology. So, I can't assess how advanced it is.
2. The West Germans led the way in Small Coastal Submarines (up to 600 tons) with the Type 205, 206 and 207/Kobben. Iran’s 600 ton Fateh-class seems to have been developed from, or been inspired by, those West German designed small subs.
3. The Italians led the way with diver delivery vehicles (from WWII) and later the Italian Cosmos minisubs.
North Korea's (Yono-class), South Korea's (Dolgorae-class), Pakistan's (MG-110) and Iran's (Ghadir-class) seem to have been developed from, or been inspired by, Italian Cosmos technology.
The Indian indigenous coastal submarine (only at DESIGN stage, with a link provided by Ghalib to H I Sutton's Covert Shores artwork here) may well be a development of the Soviet/Russian "Piranha" (NATO designation Losos-class) small-mini submarine displacing 390 tons submerged. But then again is may owe something to the West German designed Small Coastal Subs (the 205s, 206s and 207s mentioned, with links, above).
Regarding the Indian coastal submarine, the program seems to be called Special Operations Vessel (SOV), not entirely sure regarding the acronym. It's a L&T design (same company that builds the hulls of India's nuclear-powered boats) and like you said its in design study stage and there seems to be significant differences between the one shown in the Covert Shores article you linked and an updated design shown earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteHI Sutton did a piece on the new one as well:
http://www.hisutton.com/Indian-SOV-400-Submarine-Design.html
Overall, it seems to be a vessel that forms the centerpiece or staging platform for maritime insertion/extraction of Special Operations Forces (SOFs). The submarine has 2 x torpedo tubes outside the pressure hull, and can act as a docking platform for 2 x Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs), one on each side of the hull.
An image from a past defence expo showing L&T's 4-man SDV design:
https://twitter.com/defencedecode/status/1284770487088721922
Hi Pete
ReplyDeleteMini sub or even subs for coastal defense are not very effective (cost and actual impact).They are past
In most western countries the seas ( Baltic, North Sea , East Atlantic , Med, Carribean, US pacific and Atlantic coast, Japanes , Korea coasts :
-are known (very accurate maps, salinities, currents ect)for centuries if not more
-are/can be covered by arrays of modern networks of active numerical sonobuoys, sosus, modern maritime patrol planes (modern asea radar detect a periscope at 150+ nautical miles in poor weather..) and so on
-are the area of constant training (playing at home)
Chances are minimal for intruders
Hence the trends away from small subs and the increase in subs sizes/capabilities toward the oceans
The UUV story is different , they will be /are active participants in the ocean /blue water hunter killer subs missions.Similar to Awacs, much cheaper than subs, more numerous, active
sensors very effective,politically expendable.Elements of a network centric system
The naval commando is a third and different story, special forces..
While it seems (no official confirmed story so far)French naval divers/commando were disembarked and retrieved from a Rubis class in Khadaffi Libya, it must be remember that this country was in shamble at that time...Assymetric warfare..
Hi Anonymous [at Oct 29, 2021, 7:08:00 PM]
ReplyDeleteI was merely responding to Ghalib's request while not suggesting navies buy mini or coastal defence subs.
I would add that the trend these days is to buy medium to large subs that can be used for many purposes. Medium-large subs also have more range, at higher speed and longer endurance than mini or coastal defence subs. In mini or coastal defence subs the small (one or two "watch"?) crew get tired very quickly.
Interesting you mentioned a French Rubis SSN disembarking then retrieving French naval divers/commandos from Libya during the Muammar Gaddafi period. I don't know if that has ever been made public in the "Anglosphere".
Cheers
Pete
Regards
Pete
As far as Libya is concerned there is no official info. This is the policy of the Fr Gov. anyway
ReplyDeleteIt become public only in 2015 that in 1984 ,operation "Mirmillon" took place with the objective in the Sept /Nov 1984 time frame to destroy Libyan fast boats, with divers, in the gulf of Syrte while the Fr AF was attacking Wadi Doum oasis . In the tumultuous,volatile ,relations beetwen Khadaffi and France, he was supporting militarily, Tchad insurgents that were not the French friends at this time.