[Deamon]

Originally Posted by Kurushio

First of all, the Kilo has limited range due to it being diesel propelled.

That doesn't mean that it cannot operate in deep waters. And honestly all vehicles have a limited range

So it could simply run out of diesel?

A nuke could also run out of fuel if it cruises to long without refuling. What's your point ? Ah you mean the Kilo cannot cruise for ever ? Well that's true but 8000nm seem to me enough to get to blue waters operate there and get back if the blue water is close enough to the home base. Of course if the tactical situation permits could a tender be placed forward and refule them, if the situation would require it to let them operate so far away from the home base.

You also have to factor in it has to surface every now and then...which is not a good idea in a shooting war, right?

Ahh, you mean snurkel ?

The time where diesel/electric boats had to surface now and then are gone since WWII.

Without any doubt is snurkeling a hell of a tactical disadvantage. That doesn't mean it cannot operate in blue waters. Even if a sub is build explicitely for coastile operations, that doesn't mean it cannot operate in blue waters. Like the type 206a that is truly a coastile sub but still operates in the carribian during manouvers and "blow" ships out of the water.

It's surviveability might be questionable AFTER it releases it's weapos. Obviously it can't run away like a nuke and can miss the BG much easier than a nuke. But it's alot harder to detect. And when the BG comes close enough to it then it's in trouble(and the Kilo too). But trading a Kilo for a carrier is a good deal.

Secondly, your making it do something it wasn;t built to do, i.e. fight in blue water environment against boats which were designed just for this purpose.

It's finaly up to the naval command and the circumstances what they will be tasked against and where. Was the type VII a blue water sub ? And still it fought in blue waters. You learn something from history, do ya ?

And who have said that they were not build for blue waters ? And how should they have been build in your opinion in order to be blue water capeable ?

Look i can build tanks to defend my country. That means it's a devensive weapon. But that doesn't mean i cannot attack with it. You getting my point ?

BTW: The Kilo was meant to replace the Whiskeys that operated in the shallow waters of the east sea and the black sea. It's shorter and thicker hull suggest that it's definately shallow water capeable. But it's designed as a conventional all-purpose attack submarine. Thus its designation SS and not SSK. Capeable of shallow and blue waters as well, given the blue water is within it's operational range.

The only real difference betwin a coastile diesel/electric submaine and a blue water diesel/electric submarine that i see is the range(size) and maybe a bigger weapon store and some other minor things like a more thiner and longer hull. Did i left anything significant out ?

The Kilo seem to have all equipment to hunt even submarines. The only disadvantage is it's conventional propulsion system and it's range that will permit blue water operation when its fuel source is close enough to it.

There are people with much more of a valid opinion here but this just seems obvious to me.

Sorry i didn't meant to question your authority on submarine operations

BTW: Kaptain are you sure that it has a range of 8000nm ? My source states 6000nm for the Kilo.

Deamon