Years after the Cold War threat of a Soviet submarine attack ended, the U.S. Navy is confronting a new danger â the growing fleets of quiet, diesel-electric subs among potential enemy nations. As a result, the service is creating a San Diego-based command tasked with training and developing strategies and tactics for hunting undersea foes. "We have a couple dozen plethora of relatively safe to operate capable diesel submarines throughout the world," said Bob Brandhuber, a retired Navy sub captain who is spearheading the opening of the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Command at Point Loma. Added military analyst Patrick Garrett: "The Navy is in dire straits. If you canât track down submarines, itâs impossible to control the seas."
I think weâre doing OK, Pat.
Over the past decade, the submarines that once cruised the ocean depths waiting to launch nuclear missiles at U.S. cities have rusted away at Russian naval bases. Relieved, the Navy mothballed many of its anti-submarine forces, including sub-hunting submarines and aircraft based in San Diego. Naval training has largely eschewed looking beneath the waves, instead focusing on long-range missile attacks and escorting aircraft carrier strike groups.
The Burke Class can do ASW as well as AAW, but the Spruance class was an inferiour AAW platform.
However, several nations, including potential adversaries such as Iran and China, now have small but growing fleets of almost undetectable diesel-electric subs.
Undetectable is a stretch. We can take out Iranâs subs at a time of our choosing.
A hostile, seafaring nation that wants to influence world events has only to go out and buy a diesel sub, Brandhuber added. Newer models, plus older surplus ones, are being sold by Germany, France, Italy and Russia.
There are cheaper ways to influence world events with a much higher chance of success than trying to train bedouins to fight underwater.
self-serving alarmism by various naval analysts continues
Realistically, there are better ways to spend our defense dollars than going full-bore to combat the diesel sub threat. Those that are buying these knock-offs have limited operational budgets. Here are some quick thoughts:
1. Replace aging P-3s with an airframe similar to what we are going to lease for tanker aircaft. Diesels subs generally donât operate in the blue water. Unescorted P-3âs are not safe for patrolly an enemyâs contiguous waters.
2. Use more boomers to launch tomahawks. Use the fewer atttack subs against deisel subs. Heloâs are even safer to use against subs but sub on sub engagement has its advantages with respect to thermal layers.
3. Unmanned subs should be explored as a cost effective alternative to attack subs. 
|
