Navy

The Advanced Thinking Behind Sweden’s New A-26 Submarine

The Swedish Navy’s submarines are famous for their stealth. This was amply demonstrated in 2006 when Sweden loaned one of its subs, HMS Gotland, to the U.S. Navy. The AIP (Air Independent Power) equipped submarine repeatedly avoided detection. And it was able to score notable ‘victories’ against an Aircraft Carrier during exercises.

Sweden's next type of submarine, the A-26 Blekinge Class, promises to take stealth to another level. And not just by even quieter AIP. One of its secret ingredients will be uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs). These are basically robot submarines that can allow the submarine to remain hidden while taking the fight to the enemy.

The UUVs can perform many missions traditionally done by the submarine itself. And also missions which a full-size submarine could not be used. The first set of missions assigned to these robots is likely to be ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance). For example the UUV might swim ahead of the submarine and use a electro-optical mast (like a modern periscope) to observe an enemy port. 

Navy

New Intelligence: The Venezuelan Navy’s Secret Submarine

Venezuela’s Navy has a diver transport submarine which is virtually unknown even in defense circles. The minisub is closely related to one recently tested by the U.S. Navy SEALs. Open source intelligence (OSINT) that I have seen strongly points to its presence in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. This is a sophisticated design with both civilian and military applications.

The minisub appears to be a VAS 525 model designed by GSE Trieste in Italy. Evidence of the vessel was unearthed by an OSINT researcher ‘sahureka’ who has a track record of unearthing fresh information on Latin American navies.

The VAS 525 SL Mk2 version, which this is very similar to, is 23.9 feet long and about 6.9 feet across. Under the teardrop shaped composite outer shell is a strong steel pressure hull. Inside this it can transport a pilot and 4 passengers or around 1,000 lb of payload. The largest VAS-525 variant can hold as many as 12 people, although this one is smaller. They can dive to depths of up to 525 feet (hence the name), which is deeper than many similar craft. Maximum speed is 6 knots (~7 mph).

Navy

China adds turbo generators to warships to power high-energy weapons, state media says

China has equipped its warships with advanced generators to power high-energy weapons like lasers and rail guns, according to state media.

Work on the 20-megawatt turbo generators was finished in 2018, and they went into service “recently”, according to their developer, the 704 research institute of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

Announcing the move on its WeChat account, the institute did not say which ships now had the generators installed, but it is believed they will be used to power the navy’s most advanced destroyers, such as the Type 055 guided-missile destroyer.

They will quadruple the power-generating capacity on the warships, making full electric propulsion possible. The generators will also be used for electromagnetic rail guns that can fire high-speed projectiles and laser weapons.

Navy

In the North Atlantic, NATO navies are practicing to take on a wave of Russian submarines

NATO navies converged in the North Sea in late June for this year's Dynamic Mongoose anti-submarine-warfare exercise, reflecting a growing focus on countering enemy submarines amid "great-power competition" with Russia and China.

During the exercise, US Navy destroyer USS Roosevelt and four other surface ships took turns hunting and being hunted by Navy fast-attack sub USS Indiana and four other subs in the waters off Iceland.

"It was fantastic because we would have such a small, confined area that it forced interaction between the submarine and the surface ships," Cmdr. Ryan Kendall, commanding officer of the Roosevelt, said in an interview.

Navy

Putin says Russian Navy to get hypersonic nuclear strike weapons

Speaking in St Petersburg at an annual naval parade that showcases Russia’s best ships, nuclear submarines and naval aviation, Putin said the navy’s capabilities were growing and it would get 40 new vessels this year.

He did not specify when it would receive new hypersonic weapons, but suggested that day was drawing closer.

“The widespread deployment of advanced digital technologies that have no equals in the world, including hypersonic strike systems and underwater drones, will give the fleet unique advantages and increased combat capabilities,” Putin said.

Navy

The Bonhomme Richard fire deals a blow to the Navy’s designs in the Indo-Pacific

The damage to the Bonhomme Richard has been extensive from stem to stern, engulfing the well deck, the super structure and the living and working spaces up forward. The forward mast has collapsed onto the superstructure and Expeditionary Strike Group Three commander Rear Adm. Phillip Sobeck told reporters Monday temperatures inside the skin of the ship have reached 1,000 degrees, a point at which steel is losing significant structural strength.

Hendrix guessed that the heat and duration of the fire likely means the ship is lost.

“I don’t think she’s coming back, I think she’ll be struck. I don’t think you have this intensity of heat and fire in a hull and give it a thumbs up.

Navy

Attack-Class Submarine Program Moving Forward

The Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines were the first locally produced Australian submarines built in partnership with a few European countries during the 1990s and are expected to reach the end of their service lives in 2026 although plans are for all six Collins submarines to undergo upgrades to prolong their lives until the Attack-class enter service as reported in Naval News.

Despite being locally produced, the Collins submarines had inherent design problems as they were loud at higher speeds and their combat systems didn’t perform as expected. These issues were attributed to the bad design of the hull, the poor shipbuilding experience of Australia at the time, the poor quality of manufacturing and mechanical engineering, and the poor quality of the hull welds. Thus, Naval Group strives to help build an efficient and local Australian supply chain to maximize Australian content while building the future Attack-class submarines with better knowledge, quality, and expertise than the Collins-class attack submarines.

The Attack-class design is based on a conventional version of the Barracuda SSN (Suffren-class) and has a sloped-front sail, bow diving planes, and a pump-jet propulsor (instead of a propeller) with an X-rudder.

Navy

Sweden’s Famously Stealthy Submarine Is Now Even Quieter

When Sweden loaned one of its AIP (Air Independent Power) submarines to the U.S. Navy, it made waves. HMS Gotland operated out of San Diego for over 2 years in the late 2000s, reputably ‘sinking’ the carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in an exercise. It wasn’t fast, but it was quiet, which is a valuable quality in underwater warfare. Now that submarine has been upgraded with an even stealthier propulsion system.

A cornerstone of Gotland's effectiveness in exercises with the U.S. Navy was its AIP propulsion. Indeed it was a major factor in why the Navy wanted to exercise against this specific boat. AIP meant that it could stay submerged for much longer than other non-nuclear boats.

Today the AIP is a generation newer than when the U.S. Navy faced her. Gotland was upgraded by Saab in 2018 and a second of the class, HMS Uppland, is nearly ready for delivery.

Navy

Suspected Russian Spy Ship Loitering Near French Submarine Trials

When the Marine Nationale’s latest submarine, Suffren (Q284) conducted its first test dives it grabbed headlines. What went largely unnoticed by the world was that a Russian ship had been loitering in the area. RFS Akademik Pashin (IMO: 9778193) is a Project 23130 replenishment tanker.

The presence of the Russian ship, just east of Cherbourg where the submarine is currently based, was observed by Open Source analysts. Yet the connection to the submarine tests was only made by a local print newspaper, La Manche Libre who published an article in its printed edition on May 2.

The Russian ship did not go unnoticed to the Navy however. Akademik Pashin was monitored by French and then British warships. The Royal Navy reported on April 30 that the Offshore patrol Vessel HMS Mersey had shadowed the ship, along with the Steregushchiy-class corvette RFS Boiky.

Navy

Here’s the DARPA project it says could pull the Navy a decade forward in unmanned technology

A project inside the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has the potential to pull the Navy’s unmanned surface vessel aspirations forward a decade, a senior DARPA official said Wednesday at the annual C4ISR Conference.

DARPA’s effort to develop a ship designed from the keel up to operate without humans, known as “NOMARS” for “no mariners,” is a separate effort from the Navy’s quest to develop a family of large and medium unmanned surface vessels. But the benefits of that program, if successful, could be a giant leap forward for the concept the Navy is developing, said Mike Leahy, who heads the Tactical Technology Office at DARPA.

The Navy “will only be able to go so far with where the technology has matured,” Leahy said.

Navy

US Navy enters Barents Sea near Russia for first time since Cold War

The U.S. Navy is back in the Barents Sea for the first time since the Cold War.

Three American destroyers, a combat support ship and a British Royal Navy frigate have entered the waters north of Scandanavia and Russia to conduct joint security operations, the Navy announced Monday.

...According to the Navy, the last time its fleet operated in the Barents Sea was in the mid-1980s. Russia’s Ministry of Defense was informed on May 1 of the Navy’s plans for the USS Donald Cook, USS Porter, USS Roosevelt, USNS Supply and Royal Navy HMS Kent.

“The notification was made in an effort to avoid misperceptions, reduce risk, and prevent inadvertent escalation,” according to the Navy.

Navy

China Increases Potency Of Anti-Carrier Capabilities

The Chinese Navy is building an incredible number of modern warships. New frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers will spearhead the world’s largest Navy. But hiding behind the vast shipbuilding program is another pillar of the Chinese Navy’s war-fighting capability; upgrading older warships with new weapons. These upgrades are less widely reported than the impressive new ships, but they are a significant factor in the Chinese Navy’s overall firepower.

The first warship confirmed to be fitted with the YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missile, dubbed a ‘Carrier Killer’ in some circles, is an older ship.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN’s, sole Type-051B destroyer, Shenzhen, entered service 20 years ago. It was first seen with YJ-12s a couple of years ago, but only at the end of last year was it seen with a full complement of 16 missiles. Previously it had carried the ubiquitous YJ-83 missiles, generally analogous to the U.S. Navy’s Harpoon. Don’t be misled by the smaller number in the designation, the YJ-12 is a much newer missile than the YJ-83. The sea-skimming YJ-83 boasts an impressive range and is still considered an effective missile, but it lacks the strategic impact of the YJ-12.

Navy

The French Navy’s New Suffren Class Attack Submarine

The first Suffren Class attack submarine has begun sea trials. It represents a step-change for the French Navy, officially known as the Marine Nationale. France already operates a nuclear-only submarine force, which places it on the top tier of world navies. But the current Rubis Class boats are significantly smaller than their U.S. and British counterparts. And they are a generation older. The Suffren should largely close the gap on France’s leading NATO allies.

Suffren is the first of 6 Barracuda type boats for the French Navy. She was laid down in December 2007 and launched in July last year. She successfully completed a static dive test, part of the builder’s trials, on April 28.

At around 5,000 tons surfaced she is about twice the size of the diminutive Rubis class. And larger than any non-nuclear types in service around the world. Yet she is still smaller than either the Royal Navy’s Astute Class (~7,000 tons) and the U.S. Navy’s Virginia Class (~8,000 tons).

Navy

LEONARDO DRS' "ENERGY MAGAZINE" GIVES THE NAVY POWER FOR SHIPBOARD LASERS AND OTHER HIGH-ENERGY SYSTEMS

The Navy is at a tipping point with regard to electrical power. Most shipboard generators are already maxed out providing power for systems like cooling pumps, heating/ventilation/air conditioning chillers and fans, lighting, and defensive systems like radar, sonar, and electronic countermeasures.

Coming on the scene now are a variety of power-hungry next-generation technologies like higher-power radar systems and offensive/defensive systems such as directed energy lasers that the Navy wants to incorporate into a range of ship systems. That not only drives the need for more power but also for higher power quality, more efficient use of power, and intermittent power for the high bursts of energy required by pulse-power weapons and sensor systems.

“There will be an increased demand for advanced power conversion systems coupled with energy storage in order to meet the peak power demand, as well as maintain compliance to the electrical interface to the ship generators,” said Andy Nerbun, director of engineering and new product development at Leonardo DRS.

The key to managing all this power is an “energy magazine” that employs state-of-the-art lithium ion (Li-Ion) batteries or other solutions for energy storage and advanced controls for energy management. Such a system is capable of supplying energy to either the ship’s electrical distribution system or directly to a pulse weapon/sensor, while accommodating peak power demands that the ship’s generators cannot provide or provide back-up power if a generator goes offline. During times of lower demand the energy magazine is recharged from the ship’s electrical system.

Navy

US Navy’s Zumwalt Stealth Destroyer Will Soon Have Working Weapons

The USS Zumwalt stealth destroyer joined the Navy in 2016, but due to budget shifts, it’s never had a working weapons system. However, the final touches on the ship’s conversion into a standard guided missile destroyer will soon be completed.

The world’s largest destroyer will soon have a working weapons system - four years after being commissioned into the US Navy. A source inside the Zumwalt program told Defense News on Saturday that the final piece of the ship’s new combat system is due to be installed before the month is out.

The massive USS Zumwalt was conceived as a replacement for the shore-shelling capabilities of the US battleship fleet. When the four Iowa-class battleships were deactivated for good after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the Navy went looking for a replacement warship capable of ship-to-shore bombardment in support of a Marine landing. 

The SC-21 research and development program eventually yielded the Zumwalt, built around the powerful Advanced Gun System, a 155-millimeter cannon capable of firing 10 rounds a minute at targets up to 83 nautical miles away. Each Zumwalt-class ship was to have two such cannons, giving them the effective firepower of two 155-millimeter howitzer batteries, or roughly 16 land-based guns.

Navy

What Does the U.S. Military Want with Robot Manta Ray Subs?

In the near future, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants to deploy autonomous submarines that can take on months-long missions without any in-person human logistical support or maintenance.

Earlier this month, DARPA awarded contracts to three companies that will help develop the naval vessels: Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, and Navatek, LLC. A fourth company, Metron, Inc., is working on solutions specific to undersea energy harvesting techniques that will allow the autonomous subs to seamlessly operate at great depths.

Their work is part of DARPA's new "Manta Ray" program, which will advance technology for future unmanned undersea vehicles. The name relates to an artist's mockup of one of these potential subs, which resembles a Manta Ray. With little human support required, DARPA hopes these vessels will eventually become another arrow in combatant commanders' quivers.

 

Navy

Japan welcomes its first submarine powered by lithium-ion batteries into service that provides longer endurance at speeds up to 20 knots while submerged

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has introduced a new submarine to its fleet that runs on lithium-ion batteries.

The vessel, named Ouryu, launched in 2018 but was recently welcomed into service at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) shipyard in Kobe last week.

It is the first Japanese submarine to use the technology, which requires less maintenance and allows for longer endurance at high speeds of 20 knots while submerged compared to lead-acid batteries.

The Ouryu is the sixth Soryu-class boat to be built by MHI and is 276 feet long, 2,950-pound submarine that supports a crew of 65 people and carries up to 30 21-inch heavyweight torpedoes.

Navy

The Largest Submarine In The World Could Get Eclipsed

Today the largest submarine in the world is Russia’s mighty Typhoon Class ballistic missile sub. It’s massive, but it could be dwarfed if Russian engineers get their way. A ginormous undersea tanker called the Pilgrim has been proposed to transport liquid natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic. Submarine tankers would literally slip under the ice.

St. Petersburg-based Malachite Design Bureau has unveiled a design for a massive submarine capable of carrying 170,000 to 180,000 tons at a time. That is far in excess of the volume of any previous submarine. At 1,180 feet long and 230 feet across the submarine tanker would dwarf the Typhoon. The latter is around half the length at 574 feet and one third the width at 75 feet. So in terms of volume it will be more than six times the size of the Typhoon.

To shift this incredible bulk it would be powered by no less than three nuclear reactors, each producing 30 megawatts. This could propel it at 17 knots, which is only a few knots slower than regular tankers. Because it’s not a combat vessel the crew would be small by submarine standards, just 25-28 people.

Navy

Secret Submarine Capability Shown In NATO Photo

NATO’s Dynamic Manta exercise kicked off in the Mediterranean in February. One of the photographs released, of an Italian submarine, shows something particularly interesting. It is not obvious to the untrained eye, but on its back are 9 grey blocks. These tell us something about the submarine’s covert mission capability. They are attachments for one of the Italian Navy’s most differentiating capabilities: special forces mini-subs. The Italian Navy is very secretive about these capabilities, so a certain amount of informed guesswork is needed.

The Italian Navy can claim to have invented the modern art of special forces frogmen. Even in World War One they were sinking battleships using ‘human torpedoes’. Then in World War Two they had some dramatic successes, which caused others to follow. This focus continued during the Cold War and beyond but is veiled in great secrecy.

Navy

Russia Reveals Next-Gen Nuclear Attack Submarine

Russia is preparing to begin construction on its new class of nuclear-powered attack submarines. The new Laika-class attack submarine is Russia’s first brand new nuclear attack submarine in almost 50 years, however, it is currently unknown when Russian forces will receive the new submarine or how many submarines will be built.

The Russian military operates one of the largest submarine fleets in the world, including both nuclear and conventional attack submarines, ballistic missile submarines, guided-missile submarines, and more. Although as large and powerful the Russian submarine fleet may be, the Russians are heavily lacking in modern submarines, considering most of Russia’s nuclear-powered attack submarines were built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Laika class submarine is expected to replace the Akula and Victor submarine classes. The new submarine class is expected to bring Russia’s underwater attack capabilities up to par with western standards.

Developed by the Malachite Design Bureau in St. Petersburg, the Laika class submarine will displace 11,340 tons, making them much larger than the United States Navy’s Virginia class submarine at 8,700 tons, according to Popularmechanics.com. The Laika will likely have a top speed of 35 knots and a maximum dive capability of approximately 1,700 feet.