Silent speed for an SSN

Sub Sailor · 06-13-06, 09:25 AM

Gentleman;
I have spent many years on subs and believe me, they have improved tremendously. There is no sub that cannot be picked up by sonar. I don't know anything about AIP, but boats like Kilos come about as close as you can come to undetectable, but when they move you can here them.
My friend Sonar 732 can answer this a lot better than me. I know in my years on the boats detection constantly improved, just as quieting improved. Still you can be heard.
Blending in, staying quiet as you can, going slow, limiting any type of transients if there is any chance a bad guy is about. Sonarmen used to, probably still do, listen for the hole in the sea, where there is no noise, that is probably a sub. It scared off aquatic life or is blocking sound.
Look at the Seawolf class, probably the quietest sub ever built, but at a cost so high we got three, changed to the Virginia class, more like an improved 688i, ROUGHLY speaking. But at a price we can afford, well some anyway. Now don't climb all over me for the statement "like and improved 688i", I am using an analogy. It is a step back form Seawolf in many areas and improvement in many areas over the 688i.
But on any sub when you crank on speed and start angles and dangles you will make noise, but speed is the edge and often all you need.
Another sub is your biggest threat, then aircraft, sub have an advantage over surface craft, the exception is the new stuff that can sit and listen and the bingo crank on knots, but just going along they make a lot of noise. You can get out of their way.

Respectfully,

Ron Banks MMCM(SS), USN(Ret)

06-13-06, 09:25 AM	#6
Sub Sailor Commander Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Orofino, Idaho Posts: 443 Downloads: 66 Uploads: 0	No sub is undetecable Gentleman; I have spent many years on subs and believe me, they have improved tremendously. There is no sub that cannot be picked up by sonar. I don't know anything about AIP, but boats like Kilos come about as close as you can come to undetectable, but when they move you can here them. My friend Sonar 732 can answer this a lot better than me. I know in my years on the boats detection constantly improved, just as quieting improved. Still you can be heard. Blending in, staying quiet as you can, going slow, limiting any type of transients if there is any chance a bad guy is about. Sonarmen used to, probably still do, listen for the hole in the sea, where there is no noise, that is probably a sub. It scared off aquatic life or is blocking sound. Look at the Seawolf class, probably the quietest sub ever built, but at a cost so high we got three, changed to the Virginia class, more like an improved 688i, ROUGHLY speaking. But at a price we can afford, well some anyway. Now don't climb all over me for the statement "like and improved 688i", I am using an analogy. It is a step back form Seawolf in many areas and improvement in many areas over the 688i. But on any sub when you crank on speed and start angles and dangles you will make noise, but speed is the edge and often all you need. Another sub is your biggest threat, then aircraft, sub have an advantage over surface craft, the exception is the new stuff that can sit and listen and the bingo crank on knots, but just going along they make a lot of noise. You can get out of their way. Respectfully, Ron Banks MMCM(SS), USN(Ret)