Severodvinsk leaves Severodvinsk.

[ikalugin]

To avoid making yet another thread, does anyone know anything about the sonar set up on the new French attack boats?

[Jimbuna]

There doesn't appear to be a lot of detailed information out there.

Thales Underwater Systems has been selected as prime contractor for the sonar suite. The submarine is fitted with bow sonar wide-aperture flank sonar and towed sonar arrays.
Thales Underwater Systems has placed a contract on the Centre for Submarine Technology, a division of the UK MoD QinetiQ organisation, to carry out a feasibility study on the deployment of reelable thin line towed sonar arrays for the Barracuda class.

The CS under development for Barracuda-type SSNs combines an advanced sonar system based on that developed for the Navy’s current-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missiles submarines (SSBNs), an optronic mast replacing the traditional optical periscopes, a weapons system with twice the capacity of that carried by Rubis-class SSNs and a combat management system (CMS) integrating the capabilities of all of the boat’s above-water and underwater surveillance sensors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_...lass_submarine

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...a-class-02902/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_...lass_submarine

[ikalugin]

Well, what kind of bow does it use, spherical/cylindrical/conformal? How about towed and flank arrays?

I mean with Astute there are atleast immages from which you could judge such things.

p.s. this:

shows that it has a cylindrical bow, isn't such configuration considered obsolete? And I still wish I could know about the flank and tower (ie if there are even in there).

[Jimbuna]

Thales Underwater Systems has been selected as prime contractor for the sonar suite. The submarine is fitted with bow sonar wide-aperture flank sonar and towed sonar arrays.

[ikalugin]

That is Astute, and we know about the huge flank arrays of Astute class. However I havent seen any such material on the Baracuda class.

Thanks for the video, I could only sort of see a long single dimension flank array (not the wide aperture kind seen on Astute class for example).

[Jimbuna]

To the best of my knowledge and belief the new class will be pretty similar to the Astute Class.

[ikalugin]

I see, is there any immagery of the submarine in construction showing it's sonar apertures?

Such as this one:


As this immage:

Shows a clear difference between the two classes, due to the apparent lack of large aperture flank arrays Astute has, you only get a long single dimention flank array.

[Jimbuna]

Haven't seen any thus far.

[ikalugin]

I see, thanks for the materials though

[Type941]

delete

[ikalugin]

We plan to introduce 2 more (project 855M) subs of this type in 2017, so there is a fairly dire need for a Victor III like class (ie a mass produced torp sub), though I am not quite sure how that would work, as closest equivalent to such sub (Astute and Baracuda classes) are pricey.

[Kapitan]

the current situation in Russia's economy may delay some projects so it seems, however it appears that the Indians are looking to fund the finishing off of the akula class Iribis and lease that for 10 years like nerpa think that's a good idea?

[ikalugin]

For Indians? Sure. But I would prefer Russian Navy to get every boat it could.