Any idea what these are for? (Golf class SSB)

[TLAM Strike]

any idea what these are for? Notice those bumpers on the deck of this Golf class SSB?

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3980/25729723ee02d4217b79d4.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/25729723ee02d4217b79d4.jpg/)

[Stealhead]

They appear to be made of rubber and each one has a hole at the end so I am going to assume that they are being used as bumpers or to avoid possible damage from contact with something. They look crudely placed if you ask me.

[TLAM Strike]

They appear to be made of rubber and each one has a hole at the end so I am going to assume that they are being used as bumpers or to avoid possible damage from contact with something. They look crudely placed if you ask me.

Yea but bumpers to protect against what? What would put against he entire upper deck of a submarine that needs to be protected against?

[Stealhead]

I wondered this as well clearly that stinger bulge is above the protection of the "bumpers" and there seems to be nothing on the top of the conning tower either.:hmmm:

Have you any idea the status of this sub is it in reserve or in a training role perhaps?

And on second thought it seems that the bumpers where placed in a organized manner notice that there are more aft the con tower?

[TLAM Strike]

Have you any idea the status of this sub is it in reserve or in a training role perhaps? Its used for SLBM tests by the PLAN

And on second thought it seems that the bumpers where placed in a organized manner notice that there are more aft the con tower? Yes they look like they were placed symmetrically.

[Rilder]

Golf Class? Then I'm going to assume that they are there to protect weak areas from large amounts of balls being hit at it.

[Oberon]

Microphones to monitor noise from inside the hull? :hmmm:

[mobucks]

look like countermeasures used to detonate incoming threat missles.

like we use on tanks.

probably not that though.

[Jimbuna]

Rat traps?

[TarJak]

Golf Class? Then I'm going to assume that they are there to protect weak areas from large amounts of balls being hit at it.
What a load of balls. If this is par for the course then you need to be clubbed!:O:

[Stealhead]

Rilders theory I would agree with if it had one of those cages that the tractors at golf ranges have you know the ones that pick up the golf balls.

No way it would be reactive armor which is what I believe mobucks is thinking of the levels of explosives between anti-tank and anti-ship/sub weapons is very different and reactive armor would not work so well then and would be unable to counter the water pressure of a blast anyway.

I still say that they are some form of bumper though why who knows.

[Krauter]

Do the PLAN have DSRVs? Or mini-submersibles that would use this Golf as a Mother ship? Perhaps they're used as a guideline to mount the sub onto the hull?

[TLAM Strike]

Do the PLAN have DSRVs? Or mini-submersibles that would use this Golf as a Mother ship? Perhaps they're used as a guideline to mount the sub onto the hull?
Could be, they have three types.

Mystic class knockoff:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9279/14501750322020604.jpg

Imported LR7
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1508/lr7o.jpg

Research Type
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/7030/01300000171148121340490.jpg

[Osmium Steele]

any idea what these are for? Notice those bumpers on the deck of this Golf class SSB?

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3980/25729723ee02d4217b79d4.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/25729723ee02d4217b79d4.jpg/)

Purely speculation... ... to protect against accidental docking damage. Docking with what? Good question.

The paint scheme on the hatches is my best clue. Never seen that on an operational Golf before.

The sonar sticking up from the bow rules out the sub coming up under something to dock, so something is coming down to the sub.

My tupence...

[NeonSamurai]

My guess is that they are using that sub to practice rescue missions on using DSRVs. That is the only answer I can think of, where you would want to have bumpers both fore and aft (if they were transporting a DSRV, you would likely only see bumpers on the aft portion, as most nations transport DSRVs aft of the sail, not to mention the lack of room forward of the sail for one. I also do not see any mountings for anything. It would also explain the brightly colored hatches

[Growler]

Definitely fenders of some sort.

Would anyone surface a Golf-boat through ice?

I wonder about DSRV testing, though; seems to me you'd be better off testing in as close to a real-world scenario as possible, and I'd think that fenders wouldn't be that. Can't say for sure, though. Those folks do things differently.

[TLAM Strike]

It would also explain the brightly colored hatches

Those hatches are rescue buoys in case the sub goes down. On Russian boats they are painted like a barber's poll, PRC subs use neon orange, we use yellow but hide it under the deck.

[Bilge_Rat]

purely a guess, but it could be an attempt to lower the noise signature of the sub. :hmmm:

[Osmium Steele]

Would anyone surface a Golf-boat through ice?



Iirc, they are specifically designed to do so. The main armament is in the sail, and could only fire from the surface, also dem russkies do love the Arctic.

PRC subs use neon orange

This, I did not know. :up:

[Growler]

Iirc, they are specifically designed to do so. The main armament is in the sail, and could only fire from the surface, also dem russkies do love the Arctic.


OK, then, the logical follow-on: would/could these fenders be used to protect the upper hull from ice upon surfacing?

[nikimcbee]

http://newsuc.com/newsfun//media/blogs/a/vladimir_putin.jpg

Hey TLAM, I know, but I'm not going to tell.

[Osmium Steele]

OK, then, the logical follow-on: would/could these fenders be used to protect the upper hull from ice upon surfacing?

Very doubtful. They've never needed them before.

Unless the chinese have tried to shave weight by shaving the hull. :rotfl2::rotfl2:

[Growler]

Very doubtful. They've never needed them before.

Unless the chinese have tried to shave weight by shaving the hull. :rotfl2::rotfl2:

Any ideas how old the boat is? Or is there something else on the hull that's more fragile that they're trying to protect? Maybe they are just DSRV guards - as I said before, those folks do tend to do things differently that we do.

I'm just throwing out thoughts as they come up. Interesting little discussion here.

[TLAM Strike]

Any ideas how old the boat is?
Put in to service in 1966.

[Growler]

Put in to service in 1966.

Forty-five years, then. Likely some hull deterioration over that time?