Hunting a sub with the FFG?

[Kirk]

Not sure if this was ask but is there a way that FFG's hunts for subs? It took almost 2 hours to hunt for one that I made. I made an area for the sub to navigate in then in a FFG it was time to hunt for it. Went to the area and sent my helicopter to drop some buoys in the four corners of the area and I thought where it was loudest is where the sub would be? Make sense? Now is it custom to lower the towed array or do what they do in the movies and start using the active sonar and start pinging? Just wondering mind you for I was never in the Navy.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Went to the area and sent my helicopter to drop some buoys in the four corners of the area and I thought where it was loudest is where the sub would be? Make sense?

Sort of. It sort of gets to the question... if you've lost your wallet and you think it's a little more likely that you lost it in the dark than under the lamp post, do you look under the lamp post or in the dark first? :-)

I don't usually use the helo as an independent searcher. My feeling is that it's best to save it for localizing and attacking subs at a distance. That's just my opinion, though. Using up all the sonobuoys for searching just means I have to maintain a higher sortie rate to keep one in the air that I can use to pounce on any subs that pop up. I'll use it for non-acoustic search sometimes, relying on MAD and radar. That's turned out to be profitable a few times.

Now is it custom to lower the towed array or do what they do in the movies and start using the active sonar and start pinging? Just wondering mind you for I was never in the Navy.

It depends. The best thing to do is probably to do both and be sure to keep an eye on both displays. It also depends on the target type, SSP, water depth, etc... The hull array on an FFG is not very useful passive, though. Stealth is not a surface ship's strong point, so the advantages of remaining silent aren't always as clear cut as with a submarine.

[Sea Demon]

I'm kinda figuring all this stuff out myself. I normally always deploy the towed array when I'm doing ASW. It is the best way to get a sniff of what's out there without wasting bouys from the helo. I also use a series of slight zig-zagging maneuvers to make sure I get a total 360 degree picture of the area. It doesn't take much. Along the way, I also deploy some OTS bouys in a line pattern. If I'm hunting an enemy sub near a channel or in a certain operating area, I'll do like you do and travel around deploying a box pattern or a line across the channel itself. And yes, all the while, I do have an MH-60 up and ready.

All I really need is a line of bearing and at least an ID that it is indeed a submarine contact to begin my TMA, and I can deploy the helo to go and drop a pattern of VLAD or DIFAR sonobouys on it to begin localizing the target. I prefer VLAD. Don't forget to analyze the SSP. I go into directional mode on the acoustic station to analyze the sonar signature of the contact from the VLAD sonobouys. I usually move my FFG away from the enemies datum to hopefully keep me safe at this point. And as I refine the solution for more accuracy, I direct my helo to drop DICASS and I go active once I'm confident enough to do so. At this point, if I've done everything right, I should get a precise location (bearing and range from the bouy), and I can prosecute (kill him). I'll direct my helo to drop a torpedo, then stand him off 1-2 Nm to be ready for another shot if needed.

Note: If I'm close enough, I do use active hull sonar. It just really depends on my own tactical situation. That's a decision I make based on the events at the moment. And yes, passicve hull sonar isn't much use that I can see.

How do some of you other FFG skippers do it???

[ASWnut101]

scuttle me boat, and get me P-3!

[Nexus7]

I started today to play the FFG a little bit. My mission is to find a foxtrot in open sea without any indication of its possible location.
The first time i played this mission, i used the active sonar many times and (luckily) the AI sub got nervous, and started cavitating.
This allowed me to pick him up with the towed array and close in, the helo was already in the air. I killed the sub with the helo, just to do practice (mission is to force sub to surface).
The second time i played the mission I wasn't able to locate the sub
Right now I'm trying to figure if i can resupply the helo with buoys.

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Nexus7

Right now I'm trying to figure if i can resupply the helo with buoys.

Once he lands, take him down to alert 30 and start readying it for launch again. It will have a full load of buoys and torpedoes.

[Nexus7]

Originally Posted by SeaQueen

Once he lands, take him down to alert 30 and start readying it for launch again. It will have a full load of buoys and torpedoes.

OK, as I did expect

... but I suppose to order the Helo to use the dipping sonar or MAD from the FFG is not possible. Correct ?