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| Science & Technology | |
| The Asia-Pacific Submarine Buildup | |
| 2010-09-17 | |
| Total submarine numbers are expected to increase markedly over the next two decades in Asia-Pacific waters, particularly among smaller powers where small and stealthy submarines are seen as a "force equalizer." South Korea is buying six more of the medium sized KSS II/Type 214 Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) boats and plans to build a more capable KSS III type. Vietnam has ordered six Project 636 Kilo boats from Russia. Singapore bought two modern Vastergotland class subs retro-fitted with AIP systems from Sweden. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are all developing or enhancing submarines. Australia's 2009 Defense White paper calls for doubling its sub fleet to 12 boats, all equipped with cruise missiles. India is building six Scorpene class subs under French license. The recent Pentagon assessment of China's PLA Navy modernization says it may add up to five Type 095 nuclear attack boats and 15 more of the diesel-electric Yuan class boats in the coming years. I asked a very smart naval strategist who works for the Navy for his take on what's going on with the big submarine push in the Asia-Pacific. He said that the recent sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan reinforces the fact that the smart play in future naval warfare is to be under the water and shoot a missile, not above the water and take a missile hit. India appears to have learned the lesson: the Indian Navy recently put in an order for midget subs.
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| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #6 Properly designed, a UAV-, FBM, + SLCMS-armed SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT CARRIER would primarily be a FIRST-STRIKE, OFFENSIVE/PREEMPTIVE WEAPON + ANTI-BMD. A smil-armed ARSENAL/FIRE-SHIP [Surface Warfare]. would be most effective as a COUNTER-STRIKE/RESPONSE WEAPON + PRO-BMD. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-09-17 22:12 |
| #5 ION WORLD NEWS > CHINESE CAPTAIN [fishing trawler] SENT TO PROSECUTORS IN OKINAWA. and * SAME > JAPAN'S NEW FM GETS TOUGH WITH CHINA. All together now, wid feeling, "YUH-OH"! * PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > CHINA TO BUILD ANOTHER PORT IN SRI LANKA, besides HAMBANANOTA. Chin-renovated or improved COLOMBO PORT may be bigger than MOST INDIAN PORTS COMBINED??? Once completed, the questin then becomes how much Trade, Mil? access or utility to same will INDJUH [India] be allowed to have vee SL's new BFF CHINA, to includ Chin-built GWADAR???. D *** NG IT, MORIARITY, HER NEW B-F-F'S NAME ISN'T "JILL"! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-09-17 22:06 |
| #4 I wonder if its time for a Submarine Aircraft Carrier packed with armed UAVs.... Or some sort of cruise torpedoes. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-09-17 12:05 |
| #3 IMHO, there are only two kinds of ships: 1) submarines; 2) targets. RKC ET1SS 3353/3363 1967-1987 |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2010-09-17 11:53 |
| #2 If it flies through the air, it can be nailed with an energy weapon. However, it seems to me that escort ships could be equipped with lightweight but strong drag nets with floats to catch torpedoes, even super cavitation ones. Regular torpedoes would need major modification to get around such defenses, and it would defeat the entire purpose of supercavitating torpedoes. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-09-17 09:15 |
| #1 Cloaked ships lying in wait will always beat surface vessels. It ain't 1941 any more. Times have changed. Good thing China is wasting tremendous amounts of resources on all those |
| Posted by: gromky 2010-09-17 06:58 |