What speeds can a sub go before making detectable noise?

[PurpleCow]

I keep failing missions because I do not complete them on time. I think I am going too slow. I stay at 5 knots most of the time trying to be as quiet as possible.

In Dangerous Waters how fast can a Seawolf, 688i, Virginia go before it starts being detectable? Not talking about cavitation but speeds below that threshold.

Is 5 knots the same as 10 or 15 knots? I am using DW with the RA mod.

[p7p8]

You can be detected at any speed - also you can remain undetected at any speed.
It depends on many factors: mainly range and enemy ASW ability

Fast attack submarines are designed for... fast moving and attack

So if you have to reach operation area 20 nmi from you in 2 hours it means your average speed should be 10 kts.

Of course being undetected depends on many factors
Better would save some time reserve and some transit make at 15 kts and more dangerous waters at slower speed.

You should monitor situation and go fast where you are safe and go slower near enemy warships / submarines.

Also you should use layer for being undetected for enemy on opposite side of layer.

Here is my video from simple training mission:



It shows you can run really fast and remain undetected close to ASW forces.
Crucial is to understand "how it works" - you can use shadow zone or speed changing.

Discussion about this scenario was here:
link
As you will see, every player have own "strategy" of being undetected. But my strategy gives you more advantages (especially in MP) than pretending whole in water

[ET2SN]

Just my opinion, but I think DW uses a basic sound profile for most of the subs. Meaning, the sound profile doesn't change based on speed. There are some exceptions- ie, the Jin and Xia class are "randomly noisy" on purpose and you'll get a "clank" out of them at times. For the rest, each class gets a background sound value. So, its not like the reactor coolant pumps shift to a higher power level above X knots and produce more noise. Also keep in mind that your engine room is ALWAYS producing sound. Even at All Stop the generators are still producing electricity.

In vanilla DW (and the LWAMI mod) and the older versions of the game, depth tended to hide noise. Higher water pressure meant you could drive the boat faster without creating a lot of sound. This has changed in the RA mod (again, IMO and plaese don't shoot the messenger) and its why I've written in the past that there's no where to hide in RA.


Always check your XBT display at the start of a game. This is the last screen option in Sonar. You want to know what the conditions are underwater and if you have a sound layer to work with. Our Resident Chazly has done some great vids on YouTube that explain sound layers and sound channels in DW.

You can also get a good idea of surface conditions by driving up to PD at some point and looking for differences on your broadband displays. Higher sea state means more background noise, which is good for staying undetected but bad for tracking contacts. Bottom type can also be important if you can get close to it. A rocky bottom can be thought of as neutral while sandy or muddy bottoms tend to block or muffle sound.

As you gain experience in DW this gets easier to figure out but you could also open the mission in the Mission Editor and check the environmental conditions.

[PurpleCow]

Thank you both for the excellent replies.I will most definitely check out that tutorial (that was the very mission I was trying to complete).

In real life do fast attack subs travel at very slow speeds or do they normally cruise around at 20 knots and still remain quiet. I guess I assumed that the fast the props turn the more noise the sub would make.

What about boomers? Do they cruise at very slow speeds (5 knots) because they are trying especially hard to be silent?

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by PurpleCow

In real life do fast attack subs travel at very slow speeds or do they normally cruise around at 20 knots and still remain quiet. I guess I assumed that the fast the props turn the more noise the sub would make.

What about boomers? Do they cruise at very slow speeds (5 knots) because they are trying especially hard to be silent?

In real life, fast attacks travel fast when they need to get somewhere or evade something in the water. Don't get confused with speed. When a fast attack is on station they want the optimal sonar environment for the sensors. Moving fast means your sonar is trying to listen to rushing water which means you aren't hearing the important stuff. Fast attacks also need to be able to move so they can attack distant contacts. Your high tech sonar isn't worth beans if you can't get within your wep's range on time.

Like I wrote before, Boomers are Boomers. They are completely different classes of subs with their own mission and tactics. Since they are much larger than a fast attack, they tend to be more difficult to control. They also need to be as quiet as possible for as long as possible, since their mission is to remain undetected until they launch their missiles (which, ironically, means their mission failed) or return to port.

[p7p8]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

In real life, fast attacks travel fast when they need to get somewhere or evade something in the water. Don't get confused with speed.

Exactly - it means: when your task is to reach far area - you should run as fast as needed to be there on time
Of course you can run fast in not straight line and not only constant speed. Mostly "speed & drift" tactic is useful for this.

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Like I wrote before, Boomers are Boomers. They are completely different classes of subs with their own mission and tactics.

I agree - it's nice to make boomers playable in RA but... tactic for boomers is completly different than for Hunter/killer submarines.

You can play mini campaign for Ohio (under RA mod) - really exciting mission in 3 acts