Jive's Sub Brief: Russia's Secret Sonar System

On October 24, 2020 former US sonar specialist submariner, "Jive", uploaded a brief on Russia's new  Harmony Autonomous Seabed Sonar System (built under Project Cephalopod). The video brief is here https://youtu.be/Axvo1LwCEBc and below: 

In publishing the video Jive thanks H.I.Sutton (of hisutton.com) @covertshores and CSIS.org. Jive clarifies a comment made about Malachite to say that it is a Design Bureau not a shipyard.

Broadly speaking there are 2 major types of fixed sonar arrays:

1. the very long, large transoceanic Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS which still exist in all oceans! eg. see Section B.) type that can detect and locate submarines (by triangulation) 1,000s of km away. This type is better for deep, open ocean where there is less sound distortion caused by shallow seabeds, rocks, islands and other landforms.

and

2. Reliable Acoustic Path/Fixed Distributed System RAP/FDS systems (like "Harmony" in the video) which have many more sensor-receivers (and active sonars) per km permitting more acute location of close submarines/UUVs. They are much better suited to sound-distorted conditions (eg. shallow water, littorals, and relatively narrow waters between landforms). They can be combined with fixed or mobile mines/UUVs (which may use lightweight torpedos) to defend high value assets (eg. one's submarine bases). This may involve destruction of snooping enemy submarines or AUVs/UUVs in wartime and perhaps on the approaches to, or in, one's bases/ports/harbours even during cold wars.

Both sonar array types can work together and can detect, then locate, enemy submarines/AUVs/diver delivery vehicles/small boats/or USVs in order to "cue" friendly submarines or other naval, air assets or land-based missiles onto the enemy vessels. 

Enjoy the video, where Jive concludes that systems like Harmony are now sensitive enough for the Russians to hear Western reconnaissance submarines coming.

LIB costs & numbers for Japan’s Oryu, Toryu and Taigei Submarines

Following the October 19, 2020 article on Lithium-ion Battery (LIB) numbers Anonymous reported, on October 27, 2020, further information on LIB costs, numbers and arrangements for Japan’s most recent 3 submarines.

Japanese Soryu Mk 2 submarines Oryu (27SS) equip with 640 LIBs (battery modules) (=320 LIBs x 2 groups [1, 2] ) and Toryu (28SS) with possible 679 LIBs [3]. First of the new submarine class Taigei (29SS) may equip with 672 LIBs (=336 LIBs x 2 groups [3] ) and has somewhat improved power compared with 27SS or 28SS.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) is developing a new power storage and supply system [4]. Onsite testing of the system might be conducted by using Taigei as a test ship. 

[1] http://blog.livedoor.jp/wispywood2344/others/SMC-8B%20P_9_s.png

[2] Battery modules in a group are presumably consisted of two sets i.e., 240 and 80 battery modules.

[3] The price of LIBs (all of the new “SLH” type made by Japanese company GS Yuasa) are:
- 8.3 Billion Yen (US$80 million) for Oryu 28SS,
- 8.6 B Yen (US$83 million) for Toryu 29SS and
- 8.4 B Yen (US$81 million) for Taigei 30SS.
Price of defense equipment usually goes down every year. But, in 29SS, price of LIBs went up compared with 28SS suggesting increased number of LIBs. If 28SS equips with 640 LIBs, then perhaps the estimated number of LIBs in 29SS is 679 [=640 x 8.6 /(8.3 x (8.4/8.6))]. Then, the most likely number of LIBs for 30SS is 672 (=28 columns x 12 rows x 2 groups) based on pricing, cancellation of stray magnetic field and so on.

[4] Research and trial production of high-efficiency power storage and supply system for submarines. Trial production (budget 8.2 billion yen (US$79 million)) and offsite testing will be conducted in 2019-2022 and 2023, respectively.

From the LIB information above see the estimated number of LIBs and their known cost of LIBs (in Billions Yen) for 28SS, 29SS and 30SS in the Table below.

Japanese Submarine Table as at October 28, 2020. 

SS No. Diesel Type Motor	Build No Name	Pennant No.	MoF approved amount ¥ Billions FY	LABs, LIBs, AIP	Laid Down	Laun -ched	Commi ssioned	Built By
5SS Oyashio 2 Toshiba motors	8105 Oyashio currents	SS-590/ TS3608	¥52.2B FY1993 2 x 12V25/25S  diesels for all Oyashio class (each diesel  2,000kW)	LABs only	Jan 1994	Oct 1996	Mar 1998	KHI
6SS-15SS Oyashios  10 subs 2 Toshiba motors SMC-7?	8106 -8115 various	SS-591-600	¥52.2B per sub FY1994-FY2003	LABs only	15SS Feb 2004	15SS Nov 2006	15SS Mar 2008	MHI & KHI
16SS Soryu/ Dragon class  Mk I	8116 Sōryū dragons	SS-501	¥60B FY2004 all Mk.1 LAB+AIP Soryus have 2 x Kawasaki  12V25/25SB  diesels may total (6,000kW sidebar) see and + 4 AIP SMC-8 motor	LABs + AIP	Mar 2005	Dec 2007	Mar 2009	MHI
17SS	8117 Unryū	SS-502	¥58.7B FY2005	LABs + AIP	Mar 2006	Oct 2008	Mar 2010	KHI
18SS	8118 Hakuryū	SS-503	¥56.2 FY2006	LABs + AIP	Feb 2007	Oct 2009	Mar 2011	MHI
19SS	8119 Kenryū	SS-504	¥53B FY2007	LABs + AIP	Mar 2008	Nov 2010	Mar 2012	KHI
20SS	8120 Zuiryū	SS-505	¥51B FY2008	LABs + AIP	Mar 2009	Oct 2011	Mar 2013	MHI
21SS LIBs Concept Research Project			No 21SS built. It was an 8 year research project on LIBs. 1st LIBs sub launched was 27SS in 2018.
22SS	8121 Kokuryū	SS-506	¥52.8B FY2010	LABs + AIP	Jan 2011	Oct 2013	Mar 2015	KHI
23SS	8122 Jinryu	SS-507	¥54.6B FY2011	LABs + AIP	Feb 2012	Oct 2014	7 Mar 2016	MHI
24SS	8123 Sekiryū	SS-508	¥54.7B FY2012	LABs + AIP	15 Mar 2013	2 Nov 2015	13 Mar 2017	KHI
25SS	8124 Seiryū	SS-509	¥53.1B FY2013	LABs + AIP	22 Oct 2013	12 Oct   2016	12 Mar 2018	MHI
26SS	8125 Shoryū	SS-510	¥51.7B FY2014 last SMC-8 motor	LABs + AIP	2014	6 Nov 2017	18 Mar 2019	KHI
27SS a Soryu "Mk II" as it has LIBs. 1st Soryu Mk II	8126 Oryū 11th Soryu	SS-511	¥64.4B FY2015  with 2 12V25/25SB diesels (totaling 4,200kW)  SMC-8B motor Cost of estimated 640 LIBs is ¥8.3B	LIBs only (SLH type)	Nov 2015	4 Oct 2018	5 Mar 2020	MHI
28SS Soryu Mk II, 12th & final Soryu	8127 Toryu	SS-512	¥63.6B FY2016 still 12V25/25SB.  "2,900t" surfaced Cost of estimated 679 LIBs is ¥8.6B	SLH LIBs	Jan 2017	6 Nov  2019	Mar 2021?	KHI
29SS First of new class Taigei (Big Whale) Class Correlation of Whales and Ghosts in Japanese Mythology	8128 Taigei	SS-513	¥76B FY2017 (Heisei 29) Higher ¥76B  budget being first of class  with  new 12V25/31S  diesels (2,500- 2,800kW?)   New Combat System features. Cost of estimated 672 LIBs is ¥8.4B	SLH LIBs	2017?	14 Oct 2020	Mar 2022	MHI
30SS  Second of Taigei Class		SS-513	¥71.5B FY2018  (Heisei 30) 12V25/31S diesels	SLH LIBs	2018?	2020?	2022?	MHI?
01SS?  Third of  Taigei Class	8029?	SS-514	¥B? FY2019 (Reiwa 01) 12V25/31S  diesels	SLH LIBs maybe 960+	2019?	2021?	2023?	KHI?
02SS?   Fourth of  Taigei Class	8030?	SS-515	¥B? FY2020 (Reiwa 02) Improved SLH LIBS 2 x Diesels uprated 12V25/31S or newer  (each likely 3,000+kW?)	Impro ved SLH LIBs	2020?	2022?	2024?	MHI?
03SS	8031?	SS-516	¥B? FY2021	LIBs	2021?	2023?	2025?	KHI?
04SS	8032?	SS-517	¥B? FY2022	LIBs	2022?	2024?	2026?	MHI?
05SS	8033?	SS-518	¥B? FY2023	LIBs	2023?	2025?	2027?	KHI?
06SS	8034?	SS-519	¥B? FY2024	LIBs	2024?	2026?	2028?	MHI?
07SS	8035?	SS-520	¥B? FY2025	LIBs	2025?	2027?	2029?	KHI?
08SS	8036?	SS-521	¥B? FY2026	LIBs	2026?	2028?	2030?	MHI?

Key to Table: Table information exclusively provided to Submarine Matters. LABs = lead-acid batteries, AIP = air independent propulsion, LIBs = Lithium-ion Batteries. 
¥***B = Billion Yen. MHI = Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, KHI = Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. 

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Australian Navy Shifts Focus from Middle East to China's Asia-Pacific

Foreign Affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic and Defence Correspondent Andrew Greene, of Australia’s Government owned ABC News, reported, October 23, 2020:

“Australia no longer sending Navy to the Middle East, shifts focus to Asia-Pacific, China”

A three-decades-long Australian naval presence in the Middle East [under Operation MANITOU] will come to an abrupt end this year as the Federal Government grapples with an increasingly uncertain strategic environment closer to home.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds [a former Brigadier!] has announced Australia will no longer send a Royal Australian Navy ship to the Middle East every year.

The last Australian Navy ship deployed to the region, HMAS Toowoomba, returned to Australia in June this year.

Australia will also withdraw from the United States-led naval coalition patrolling the Strait of Hormuz at the end of 2020.

That means around 30 years of Australian maritime operations in the Middle East — largely focussed on counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations — will soon come to an end.

In a statement, Senator Reynolds said the Government's priorities had shifted.

"This year alone has seen [the] Navy respond to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises, a five-ship deployment throughout South-East Asia and the Pacific, a continued commitment to initiatives under the Pacific Step Up, and several highly successful activities with our regional partners," Minister Reynolds said.

"We now face an increasingly challenging strategic environment which is placing greater demand on ADF resources closer to home."

"As a result, the Australian Defence Force will reduce its naval presence in the Middle East to enable more resources to be deployed in our region."

The shift was flagged in the Government's recent Defence Strategic Update, which declared that deteriorating strategic circumstances would force the military to focus more sharply on the Indo-Pacific and Australia's immediate region.

China has engaged in a massive naval build-up over the last decade, as well as asserting increasing control over the contested waters of the South China Sea by building a series of military fortifications.

The relationship between the United States and China has also become increasingly hostile, sharply raising the risk of conflict in the region.

Australia has participated in a growing number of naval exercises in the region with a series of allies and partners, including the United States and Japan.

Earlier this year Australian warships encountered the Chinese Navy while sailing near contested islands claimed by Beijing on their way to trilateral exercises.

[Inset: If [Australian Prime Minister] Morrison's defence strategy sounds like war talk, that's because it is.]

Next month the Australian Navy will also re-join the Malabar naval exercises with the US, Japan and India after a hiatus of more than a decade.

Senior officials, military officers and Morrison Government ministers have been contemplating the shift away from the Middle East for several years.

Last year there was debate inside the Federal Government when the Trump Administration asked Australia to join a US-led naval coalition to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran.

In the end, the Morrison Government agreed to send a surveillance aircraft and a frigate to join the mission.

But one Government source told the ABC the decision was "pretty hotly contested."

The [Australian Defence Force’s] Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, said the change announced by the Government was "historic" and Senator Reynolds declared Australia could be "proud" of its naval contribution.

"For over 30 years we have supported freedom of navigation, maritime security and the free flow of commerce in the Middle East," she said.

"In cooperation with our partners, our commitments have been invaluable in disrupting global drugs trade, supporting the reduction of funding lines to terrorism activity and building the capacity of regional forces."

Singapore's Chinook Helicopters Qualify on Australia's LHDs

See Australia's Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter (APDR) article, of October 26, 2020, at

https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com/australia-singapore-works-on-joint-helo-exercises/

RN's Future Dreadnought OR USN's Columbia SSBN Better?

Should the video title "Which is better !! Royal Navy’s Dreadnought vs US Navy’s Columbia, Future submarines" be asked at all? 

The video, uploaded by "HUF HACK" October 20, 2020, is here https://youtu.be/vCyRPxqzR08 and below:

Comparing China's and the US's Combat Power

I think Australia’s ABC News video title “How China is flexing its military muscle under the rule of Chinese President Xi Jinping” is off the mark.

Also ABC’s comparison of China and US power shows limitations. For example implying a Chinese aircraft carrier can be compared 1-to-1 with an American one? Comparing recent, large scale, operational experience?

The video is here https://youtu.be/sK89YutzjBQ and below. What do you think?