Cuban Missile Crisis - How were the Foxtrots found?
 

I was watching the documentary linked on the Dangerous Waters forum about the Cuban Missile crisis. In it they describe the 4 Foxtrots as having been discovered, but they don't say exactly how they were found. Does anyone know? I'm not sure how they would know that there were exactly 4 of them either.

Thanks

Well it was Tip Top Secret at the time but SOSUS localized them and provided the US air and surface units area to search. The US Commanders didn't even know where their data was coming from, infact the Soviet sub commanders knew more about SOSUS then them! ;)

If you are intrested in knowing more pick up a copy of October Fury by Peter Huchingson (the guy who wrote Hostile Waters about the K-219)

lol! That's very interesting. And SOSUS was then between Newfoundland and the Azores? (Not GIUK?)

I'll pick that up, thanks!

Combination of assets: HUMINT, signals intelligence, radar (detecting the boats when snorting) and active/passive sonar. See October Fury by Peter Hutchausen(2002 ISBN 0-471-41534-0). Some people enjoy dissing Mr. Hutchausen who is a journalist rather than a historian but in this case he was an active participant in the events being a sailor on USS Blandy (DD-943), part of the USS Essex (CVS-9) ASW battle group throughout the crisis.

Edit: Missed TLAM Strike's endorsement of October Fury. Apologies for the repeat.

Yes it was a couple of years until the listening post in Keflavik was built. But thats not to say that other assests didn't patrol the GIUK gap. IIRC in Oct Fury P-3s and UK Shackeltons are detected by the Soviet subs while they are transiting the Gap.

http://www.cus.navy.mil/timeline.htm

This book is awesome! It would make a great movie.:yeah:

I just remembered The History Channel did a 1hr show that was basicly the cliff notes of the book.