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I just saw an article about the RN ssn force are going to be painted blue and wondered if anybody has any pictures?

Why are they painting them blue? Air detection avoidance?

It's supposed to be better than black in clear, shallow waters. Can't think where that could be....

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSLTIGER

Why are they painting them blue? Air detection avoidance?

Supposed to stop this happening...

http://usschicagobase.org/images/usschicago1.jpg

And yes that is a Black submarine in the pic.

Ramius,you posted the picture I saw in the article that I originally saw.Have you found any of the whole boat?

Your still see it, strange decision.

It would be interesting to see images of the HMS Trenchant, this blue T boat, and a Black one all next to each other at PD. :ping:

Personally I think the Trenchantâ€™s type of paint job is a better idea since the different colors make it harder to recognize the object. :hmm:

Only this one ....

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2006130043,00.jpg

Quote:

By TOM NEWTON DUNN - The Sun Newspaper

ROYAL Navy chiefs are painting their entire fleet of submarines BLUE to camouflage them better.

They are ditching black, which has been the colour of choice in the 105 years of the â€œSilent Serviceâ€.

Nuclear sub HMS Torbay has become the first to get the new paint job. The rest of the fleet is expected to be changed by the end of the year.

Navy boffins picked the colour after exhaustive trials and lab tests. They also discovered black was the WORST low-key colour to deceive an enemy.

The new shade â€” called Steely Blue â€” was the hardest to spot against different shades of light and through water.

A change was prompted by a move in ops away from the North Atlantic, where subs spent most of the Cold War.

Now most are fighting the War on Terror in the Middle East and Indian Ocean, where seas are brighter.

Lieutenant Commander Steve White, in charge of the change, said: â€œThis should make subs twice as hard to spot.

â€œIt may not look as macho as dark black, but when sailors realise what it does theyâ€™ll love it.â€

HMS Torbay has left Devonport, Plymouth, on a secret six-month mission during which her new colour will undergo visual tests from the air, land and sea.

And Admirals have challenged holidaying Sun readers to spot the hunter-killer sub anywhere in the world â€” and then tell them if they think the colour works.

# EMAIL internet@dccn.mod.uk if you spot new-look Torbay.

Did you notice the bulge?This is same as the one on Trafalgar that was covered by a large binliner at the fleet review last summer.

I was on Torbay a couple of days before she sailed and the paint job's a bit weird, it's slightly glossy (as you can see in the photos) and a bit of a culture shock after 15 years orking on matt black boats :o

Trenchant's colour scheme was very different when they tried it - it was a much lighter blue and was painted on in patches. I'm not sure if the patches were intended as disruptive camouflage or if it was just test patches.

Now it just looks but ugly.

well... it's gonna stick out like a sore thumb in the dark north atlantic... what's the plan with that, to repaint it every time it's deployed to a different part of the world... sandy tan in the carribean, maybe :-j

and what are they gonna do when the barnacles and other stuff starts attaching themselves to the hull... and the wethering effects start to wear away the new paint job...

if they really wanted to do something crazy and far fetched, they should've design a skin that could change color with the differening environments... like a chameleon does...

why didn't they ask me... i would've told em :-j :-j :-j

hey, my idea aint no worse than painting em all dayglow blue :doh:

--Mike

I guess it must work if they are applying it to the fleet.

N Atlantic they would be deep anyway most of the time.

I am more interested in that new bit of kit on each side of the sail.

This could start a trend.

Why don't they paint Jaws on the bow like you'd do with Aircraft? Open mouth full of sharp teeth, maybe the eyes...

How long untill we see a yellow one?

And a pink one?

Warning: Punks aboard!

Xabbarus,if you saw Tragalgar at the fleet review last summer,she had the same mod.The crew covered it up once the sky news helicopter had flown past and televised it to millions!

Quote:

Originally Posted by XabbaRus

I am more interested in that new bit of kit on each side of the sail.

Looks to me it's only on the port side of the fin. But, what about the two 'speed bumps' on the hull supersructure, both sides?

Quote:

I guess it must work if they are applying it to the fleet.

well, time will tell... but if you look up at that snorkeling 688 in the pic above, there's no way that painting it blue or red or pink or brown is gonna hide that in those water conditions... to me this seems like somone in the blue paint industry is related to the MOD... at least dazzle paint was shown to be effective... but even that didn't last...

Quote:

I am more interested in that new bit of kit on each side of the sail.

yeah, now you're talkin... that lil addition to the side of the sail is indeed noteworthy... and definitely of more interest than the new fashions the subs'll be wearing... i've got no idea of what it might be... an addition to the super sonar suite... something to do with littoral ops and detection of the new generation of quiet diesels ?

i dunno...

--Mike