The fastest way to get to the Middle East

[Deathblow]

Your an USN admiral that needs to send a 688 to the Middle East... which way is faster:

1. Depart from the US East Coast, travel souteast to the south Atlantic, round the tip of African, then up the African East coast of the Indian Ocean to the RedSea/Persian Gulf

or...

2. Depart from Pearl Harbor sub base, travel across the Pacific Ocean, past the Phillipines into the East Indian Ocean to the RedSea/Persian Gulf.

Which way is faster?

[Kapitan]

Even thought they are both about the same length id opt for number three the way they acctualy did it.

East coast into the med through the suez round into the gulf cant get any quicker.

[Henson]

Take a boat that is already in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, or Western Pacific and run it to the Arabian Sea as fast as possible.

This is why we alway have a certain number of boats deployed...so we don't have to worry about that. Trust me, when it comes to the Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf, we're already there.

[sonar732]

If a boat would leave either Groton or Norfolk, it would go thru the Med and transit the Suez canal and Red Sea option.

If the boat would leave from the Pacific, it would leave Guam, not Pearl. The whole reason for forward basing the subs at Guam is for quick response to a Chinese/North Korean threat.

However, as Henson stated, their are boats already deployed for this reason...to cut down on response time. :up:

[Deathblow]

You guys are cheating. :( Those weren't options given.

However, I didn't know that subs used the Suez canal... I'm assuming they have to surface and transit the canal openly or is the canal deep enough for a submerged transit?

[Kapitan]

Last year HMS Tireless S88 transited the suez canal surfaced with the escort HMS Richmond.

Subs do it all the time or would you rather the 2 week trip around the cape?

[TLAM Strike]

Last year HMS Tireless S88 transited the suez canal surfaced with the escort HMS Richmond.

Subs do it all the time or would you rather the 2 week trip around the cape? Well if you sub is going to war best take the 2 extra weeks rather than risk some commando or terrorist sympathizer taking it out with a mine or suicide boat whiles its surfaced.

[TLAM Strike]

You guys are cheating. :( Those weren't options given.

However, I didn't know that subs used the Suez canal... I'm assuming they have to surface and transit the canal openly or is the canal deep enough for a submerged transit? No. The current limit on draft of a ship transiting the canal is only 53 feet.

[Deathblow]

Ah ha, so given that the command is unwilling to risk a Suel Canal transit the sub must still round the African tip.

So the original question still remains. Lets say that the two subs are the USS Virginia homeported on the USA east coast and the other is the USS Texas homeported at Hawaii. The advanced optics and spy gear on the subs is desperatedly needed for some urgent ELINT and only these two subs exist that can provide the necessary capability, needed ASAP. The Suel canal is not an option because SubCommand does not wish to risk the surface transiet...

... who will get there first, the Hawaii based USS Texas or the East Coast based USS Virginia?

[Bill Nichols]

Brit sub in Suez canal:

http://clinton-legacy.org/war10/imdf07102001152648a.jpg


US sub in Suez canal:

http://www.lts-orient.ch/ltsdeutsch/infotmationen/Wetter/boise-suez.jpg


Another:

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_030314-N-6141B-018.jpg


Danish sub in Suez canal:

http://www.navalhistory.dk/images/Episoder/SoevaernetPaaVagt/SaelenSuez.jpg


688-class boat in Panama Canal:

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_040821-N-6811L-117.jpg


From my trip through the Panama Canal on USS Nautilus:

http://www.ussnautilus.org/images/Riddell_Panama.jpg

[Linton]

Bill that is an s-boat .You can tell by the shortened rudder.

[Deathblow]

Fine... so I guess the Suel Canal is an option... sure does announce one's presence in a loud way though. During wartime it would seem too easy for a enemy sub to sit at the Canal's choke points and snap up any enemy subs.

So with the use of the canal... the East coast departure is faster. Without the use of the canal, both seem pretty even atm... probably a few days difference between to two routes.

nice pics btw

[Kapitan]

Well not realy cause in time of war you would send a pacfic based submarine to the entrance of the suez and take out hostile subs then let your subs come through from the other end.

[Kurushio]

Stupid question...but why are there gates either end of the Panama canal?

[Fish]

Stupid question...but why are there gates either end of the Panama canal?

Water level.

[Kurushio]

Stupid question...but why are there gates either end of the Panama canal?

Water level.

My guess was either to keep sharks out or to keep mini-subs from sneaking in...so it's water level. Sort of like a locke in a canal sort of thing? Thanks... :up:

[swimsalot]

Can ya fit a sub in a C-5? :D

[TLAM Strike]

Can ya fit a sub in a C-5? :D If its a DSRV yea... ;) :lol:

[zephyr]

All things being equal, and for some reason being forced to take one of the original routes mentioned in the question..., if the two distances are similar in distance and the two subs were to travel at the same number of knots, I'd send the sub from Pearl Harbour.

They'd be travelling with the Equatorial ocean currents, the Sub in the Atlantic would be travelling against theirs.

[Vasilly]

Sorry, but I had to say this :-j

Either by Fed-Ex, or Join the Army :lol:

[MaHuJa]

I'm thinking that the one sent from hawaii will be passing through an area of chokepoints - so if it not being intercepted is vital for the mission, sending it east might be a better idea.

[Deathblow]

very true, hadn't thought of that.