SCUTTLEBUTT

Articles about submarines and simulations

 

SSGN Launching Cruise MissilesSSGN is a transformational submarine, both physically and conceptually. It is a proposal to convert up to four ballistic missile submarines. These four OHIO Class submarines, also referred to as Trident submarines, will be decommissioned and inactivated due to the Nuclear Posture Review. By capitalizing on the investment already made in these advanced submarines, new strike and special operations capabilities are possible. SSGNs could operate in otherwise denied areas to provide unique capabilities that would enable other U.S. forces. These capabilities include 154 cruise missiles that can be launched at rapid rates, 66 Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel, a swimmer lock out shelter, and an Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS). This submarine would also retain the multi-mission capability found in SSNs and provide large volumes for future payloads and mission adaptation. These features would provide a transformational degree of firepower in a survivable and virtually undetectable platform that can remain on station continuously.

Atlantic Submarine Force

 

NEW  ADDITIONS


NEW!  History and Parts of the Submarine - The following sites will give some history of the use of submarines by the United States, and others will explain how a submarine works, how it can do what it does, and why submarines are used in particular situations rather than regular warships. Submitted by Ms. Sarah Hanson's class.

NEW!  K-19 HISTORY - Soviet leaders, determined to catch up and build a nuclear sub fleet to rival that of the U.S., begin rushing subs through production and testing, to the dismay of naval officers. The result, according to Capt. Nikolai Zateyev of K-19, is a fleet of submarines, his own included, that are not fit for combat.

NEW!   WHY MONITOR MATTERS - The Monitor is not only an icon of Civil War history, but a pivotal piece of international naval history as well. Designed by Swedish-American engineer and inventor John Ericsson, the Monitor was the world's first ironclad, turreted warship.


 


INTERVIEWS  &  PREVIEWS

 

SUBSIM AT E3 2002 - Bethesda invited Subsim into a private screening of Sea Dogs 2 running a demo on a large screen monitor. Producer Joel Breton asked me if I had played Sid Meiers' Pirates. "Well, we want to take Pirates and make it look a whole lot better." And look better, it does.

SEA DOGS II SCOOP - In Sea Dogs 2 the player will be able to walk not only in town, but all around the island outside the town walls, through jungles, canyons, visit rocky shores and caves.

HARPOON 4 NEWS - Larry Bonds swears it will be done right...or at least better than Silent Hunter II.

Sonalysts takes sub game to new depths - This summer Sonalysts and EA will raise those standards with “Sub Command: Seawolf, Akula, 688I.” The new game will have higher-quality graphics, more choice of submarines for a mission, more types of weapons and a long-anticipated capability to take submarines under the Arctic ice.

SUBSIM REVIEW'S SUB COMMAND BETA PREVIEW  - A legion of Jane’s 688(I) players will finally be allowed to shelve what most consider the best nuke subsim and reload their hard drive with something new. If you liked Jane’s 688(I), you will love Sub Command—three times as much.

E3 2001 - 20 Q&A - SUBSIM Review catches up with Silent Hunter II - Destroyer Command producer Shawn Storc and passes along 20 questions from members of the Wolfpack League.

SUB COMMAND DEMO; UNDER THE ICE--AT LAST! -  Sub Command will break new ground with an "under-ice" environment and a broader scope of missions. SUBSIM Review's fast attack expert Frank Kulick examines Sonalysts' new subsim. 

SILENT HUNTER II AND DESTROYER COMMAND; INTEROPERABILITY PROGRESS REPORT - They said it couldn't be done. Two different games, one multiplayer battlefield. Universal appeal.  The most exciting moment in naval and submarine simulation history is approaching. GAME Studios and Ultimation are preparing to release two new sims this spring, one a surface ship sim and the other a subsim: Destroyer Command and Silent Hunter II.

KIM CASTRO'S 688(I) FLASHBACK - Initially, we told EA how we were going to improve and update 688 Attack Sub, but Paul told us to "…start new and to make the most realistic submarine game ever."

SILENT HUNTER II: BETA PREVIEW - After six fast and furious months, Ultimation and former-Mattel Interactive rebuilt the U-boat subsim from the keel up. And now SUBSIM Review is here to report: Silent Hunter II has reached beta.

SUB NOVELIST DIMERCURIO SHARPENS HIS CRAFT -- The third in an annual series of interviews. Learn what the future in the DiMercurio world holds.

SILENT HUNTER II: THE INNERVIEW -- The next WWII subsim is going to be the sequel, Silent Hunter II. This time around the battlefield is the Atlantic. SUBSIM Review asked for a few minutes with Senior Producer Rick Martinez to learn the current status of the sim. 

LIFE IN THE WARGAMES BIZ -- Joel Billings, one of the early pioneers of subsims for the PC traces the history of SSI and Fighting Steel.

FIX 688(I) - Jane's 688(I) Hunter/Killer set the standard for nuclear subsims when it was released in June 1997.  Since then, massive gameplay revealed a number of existing problems with the game. We petitioned to get them fixed, and EA/Sonalysts responded.

PIRANHA FIRING POINT -- Now, with the publication of his fifth novel Michael DiMercurio gives us his best yet. Interview by John Channing

MIKE "ACES OF THE DEEP" JONES INTERVIEW -- The mastermind behind the most successful U-boat sim reveals the making of Aces.

BEHIND THE MIND OF MICHAEL DIMERCURIO -- Interview with one of the finest fiction authors writing on the subject of submarine warfare today. By John Channing

TERRY JONES ON 688(I) -- The subject matter expert for Jane's 688(I) answers questions (well, some anyway). By Jane's Combat Sims/Electronic Arts

 


SUBMARINE  &  SUBSIM  ARTICLES

 

VIRTUAL SUBS- The "SSGN in a building" allows today's submariners to "fight" the Submarine Force's future land-attack heavyweight in a realistic major fleet battle experiment.

THE SUB BOOK OF ALL TIME - The book covers the first 100 years of the Submarine Force and also provides a glimpse of what’s to come in the future. It contains over 730 magnificent illustrations and twenty-three captivating articles.

SONALYSTS IN CONGRESS - In 1995, we approached Electronic Arts, the world’s largest game publisher.  The result was that they funded us as an advance against royalties to develop 688(I) Hunter Killer. 

SUBSIM REVIEW SELLS OUT! - So, what else is new?

SUBSIM TURNS 5 - We've been around and we have the bite marks to prove it!

Two Old Favorites Are Back - Fighting Steel and Fleet Command have great staying power. Find out why.

SUBSIM 2001: Year in Review - It was the best of times,... really!

The Fleet Type Submarine - The who-what-how-and where about WWII US subs.

KLAUS RELIEF RAFFLE - Win cool stuff, like an autographed copy of Silent Hunter by Eric Topp, WWII U-boat Ace.

Ships, Sensors, and Weapons - While still maintaining their ability to prevail in sustained “blue water” conflicts against world-class adversaries, America’s submarines are moving increasingly into the littorals of the world to face new challenges.

Russia's 'Shipwreck' MIssile Enigma Solved - Info on the newly revealed Rocket torpedo.

Sub Command Contest - EA sponsored a contest and five lucky winners sailed away with copies of the new nuke subsim marvel.

Jane's Fighting Ships 2001-2002 - To those who look for signals from the sky, the spectacular splashdown in the South Pacific of the Russian space station Mir in March 2001 might have signaled the end of an era. While Russia had its own space program, it could rightly continue to claim superpower status. Now it has been relegated to being just one of a number of partners in what has become an American-led activity, it leaves the United States in a league of its own.

100 YEARS OF RUSSIAN SUB DESIGN - The much-awaited century has begun. What does it hold in store for Russians? Perhaps, only prophets can answer this question and in a very general way at that. Submarine designers are concerned over specifics: what submarines should the Russian Navy have in the new century?

USS Greeneville Hearings Transcript - Details from the inquiry in Hawaii.

FIGHTING STEEL  PROJECT V4 - Fighting Steel, a game that already has won the hearts of many many battleship enthusiasts, has become even better with Fighting Steel Project (FSP) by Naval Warships Simulations.

World Navies in Review - A broad survey  arranged by broad category of ship and within that alphabetically by country. By A. D. Baker, III, Naval Institute Proceedings

THE MESS COOK - A SUBMARINE STORY - The sound of the blast then hit the boat and everyone cheered except the captain who, at that instant, saw through the billowing smoke falling away to the tanker's port side, the bow of a Japanese destroyer. By Dan Gillcrist.

PRACTICING FOR DOOMSDAY  - The cold war may be over, but dozens of U.S. and Russian subs still lurk under the ocean, poised to attack.  Time's Douglas Waller was granted the most access any journalist has ever had to chronicle a patrol of one of those Tridents, the U.S.S. Nebraska.

A Small History of Swiss Submarines  - What could the Swiss army, though famous for its multi-purpose pocket knife (without cork-screw for privates! What a shame...), do with a submarine force? Four Swiss-designed and/or built submarines which are amongst the most famous ones in the world. By Pascal Mauron

PACIFIC THUNDER! SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE FRONT - There is a battle underway on the virtual battlefield, a re-enactment of the unrestricted submarine warfare that was waged against Japan from December 1941 to August 1945. By Frank Kulick.

GAMES OF OLDE - New writer Richard Gillespie takes us back to the stoneage of computer games. Get your time-travel boots on.

ADVANCED EVASION TACTICS -  The Do's and Don'ts to evading the enemies weapons, whether it's depth charges in WWII or wire guided fish in the Cold War era. By Andrew Czernicki.

HISTORY OF SUBSIM REVIEW -  What do you get when you cross a love for computers, submarines, and journalism? A submarine simulation website that strives to be the best and most informative on the web. By Jason Dorris.

MARK 48 TEST - An Australian Collins class submarine, HMAS Farncomb, fired a Mark-48 war-shot torpedo at the 28 year old former Destroyer Escort TORRENS.

THE FIN PROJECT - A Sculpture by John T. Young, Seattle, Washington, 1998. A Monument to World Peace and Recycling: "From Swords into Plowshares"

USNI Los Angeles Class Submarine Datafile - This stand-alone executable program includes a 3-D model of a Los Angeles class sub which the user can rotate to view the top, bottom, side, front, or rear from any position.

JANE'S  688(I) REVIVAL - Dust of that copy of 688(I) and put out to sea. Jane's 688(I) looks as good today as when it was released and thanks to the latest patch--plays better! Join SUBSIM Review in celebration of the best subsim ever.

HISTORY OF JANE'S  688(I) - From the beginning, 688(I) looked like something special. Now three years later we celebrate the best nuke subsim ever.

688(I) SWEEPSTAKES  - Who won what in the latest and greatest SUBSIM Review contest.

US NAVY SUBMARINE DOLPHINS  - On 13 June 1923, Captain E.J. King suggested to the Secretary of the Navy that a distinguishing device for qualified submariners be adopted.

KURSK DOWNED BY SECRET TORPEDO? -- Military experts said they believed the crew of the Kursk were testing an upgraded
version of a fast and silent torpedo called the Squall.

SUBSIM 2000 CONTEST WINNERS -- We just love to give stuff away! See who won what and when.

FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET -- Called Shkval, meaning squall, it is said to be capable of speeds as high as 500 kilometres an hour.

DEEP & DEADLY: PM CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF THE SUBMARINE - Submarine designs took shape in wood, iron, steel and brass, and were powered by every conceivable prime mover, from oars and hand cranks, to boilers and batteries, and internal combustion engines. Yet no one could make the idea work. No one, that is, until Holland.

SUBMARINE HEROES - Of the seven submariners granted the Medal of Honor in World War II, three received the award posthumously. And among those, the one who sank the most Japanese tonnage before being lost in action was Sam Dealey.

ALTERNATIVE FUELED SUBMARINE - Nuclear Powered! Diesel-Electric! Stirling Engine Air Independent Propulsion (AIP)? What is this new method of propulsion, and how potent will it prove to be.

THE FUTURE OF SUBSIMS -- The sky is falling! Well, it does seem that way. This viewpoint offers some ideas about the future of subsims.

DEBATE CENTER ON MORE US SUBS -- The US government has woken up to the fact that American submarines are instrumental in world peace--they have an outstanding record.

U-571 MOVIE SECTION -- Fast paced and fun, the latest U-boat flick may not rival Das Boot but it is a wild ride. Clips, articles and links here.

TOP TEN GOOD THINGS ABOUT SUBSIMS -- There are a lot of good reasons to be a subsim skipper. We've compiled a top ten list that may include a few things you might not have thought of. 

THE CASE FOR MORE SUBMARINES -- This article discusses the unique value of the U.S. Submarine Force today and why it warrants more defense investment for the future. By CDR Mark L. Gorenflo, USN, and CDR Michel T. Poirier, USN

AN SSK ADVENTURE  -- The minister was invited by the Navy Chief of Staff to make a little trip on a sub with lunch on board. The minister, knowing my passion, invited me. How could I say no to a minister? By Jose Manuel Batista    

TOMAHAWK SUPERSUBS -- By converting four soon-to-retire ballistic-missile submarines into Tomahawk cannons, the Navy could produce a Stealth weapon system that on its own could "take down a country for a week. By Richard J. Newman

TACOS AT TWO HUNDRED FEET -- For Neal Stevens, it has been a life-long goal to go deep in a military sub. One summer afternoon he discovered a crisp, white envelope in the mail with the marking "COMMANDING OFFICER USS HOUSTON" in the return address. Original article by Neal Stevens

AKULA! THE SOVIET SHARK -- With the Akula, the former Soviet Union has caught the US in the undersea arms race. Original article by Neal Stevens

SUBSIM REVIEW FEATURED IN THE NEW LONDON DAY -- Connecticut newspaper zeroes in on SSR's Fix My 688(I) Campaign. By Robert Hamilton.

CONTEST WINNERS & SURVEY RESULTS -- The 1998 Summer Giveaway winners and the results of a poll of over 480 subsim warriors. Which sim is #1? Find out here.

THE HISTORY OF SUBSIMS -- We examine the pioneer programs of subsim history. These early efforts gave rise to a growing niche of computer games. By Brian H. Danielson and Neal Stevens

AMERICA'S FUTURE SUB -- The New Attack Submarine is the Navy's affordable alternative to the Seawolf. Can it do the job? By Neal Stevens

SUBSIM ORIGINAL -- Built from cardboard and imagination, this subsim could be one of the first ever. By Neal Stevens

DEEP DIVE: SEAWOLF -- Seawolf SSN-21, the first of three, is the stealthiest vessel in the Navy's fleet. By Jim Wilson.

SUBSIMS BEYOND 2000 -- Since the advent of the personal computer, inspired companies and individuals have endeavored to reproduce the experience of undersea warfare. By Neal Stevens.

AOD U-BOAT TACTICS -- Hunt and kill tactics used in playing Aces of the Deep. By Fionn Kelly.

THE AKULA THREAT -- Recent case of Russian submarines tracking the US Navy. By Jane's Defence Weekly.

THRESHER DOWN -- The USS Thresher may have been a victim of the same advancing technology that brought her into being. Reprinted from Mechanical Engineering.

CAVALLA DECOMMISSIONING -- CAVALLA SSN-684 was in the forefront of one of the country's most successful Cold War competitive strategies. Remarks by ADM Bruce DeMars, USN (Retired). 

 

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