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

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

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/398...17b79d4.th.jpg

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?

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?

Its used for SLBM tests by the PLAN

Yes they look like they were placed symmetrically.

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.

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

look like countermeasures used to detonate incoming threat missles.

like we use on tanks.

probably not that though.

Rat traps?

What a load of balls. If this is par for the course then you need to be clubbed!:O:

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.

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/img43/927...0322020604.jpg

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

Research Type
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/7...8121340490.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...

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