Interestingly, some of the Block III innovations are being built into the emerging fleet of nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines called the Columbia class. The pace at which Los Angeles class submarines are retiring, not to mention a growing and increasingly concerning Chinese submarine force, has inspired the Navy to uptick the production rate of its submarines and sustain accelerated development even as the new Columbia-class submarines begin to come online. Following extensive work with Congress to secure additional funding for the highly prioritized undersea warfare fleet, the Navy conducted several industrial base assessments and was able to determine that the capacity exists to build up to three per year starting in 2025. The pace of arrival of Virginia-class submarines is also of great significance to the Navy, given that the service has for many years now been working with Congress to substantially uptick Virginia-class submarine production to help mitigate an expected submarine fleet deficit in coming years. While the specifics of these systems are not discussed by Navy developers for obvious security reasons, senior submarine developers with the service explain they contain a new generation of quieting technologies, something which naturally improves an ability to operate without detection. The USS South Dakota is now deployed and some of its new innovations are operational, a development introducing new performance technologies. Part of the reason Virginia-class Block III submarines bring a new ability for undersea reconnaissance is due to a series of innovations pioneered several years ago on a testbed prototype submarine called the USS South Dakota. This increases an ability to conduct clandestine surveillance missions and enables operations in areas less accessible to deeper drafts and potentially more vulnerable surface ships. For example, newer Virginia-class submarine variants could patrol coastal areas searching for enemy mines with forward operating Unmanned Undersea Vessels (UUVs) able to identify threats. The boats are also built with a fiber optic periscope cable enabling commanders to view their surroundings from anywhere within the submarine, as opposed to just beneath the top of the boat on a periscope.īlock III is also continuing to inform the Navy’s expanded mission envelope for attack submarines, given their increased ability to conduct undersea reconnaissance. Threat signatures that might take longer to find and identify can be cataloged and transmitted on an exponentially faster timeframe, helping attack submarines stay in front of an adversary ’s decision cycle. Incoming return signals can, using AI, be bounced instantly against an existing database of compiled information such as threat libraries, mine-configurations or even surface ship maneuvers to locate enemy positions. For example, perhaps the submarine can launch mini undersea, mine-hunting drones from its missile tubes and instantly gather, organize and analyze incoming sonar signals to transmit precisely configured, timely data to submarine commanders. This kind of “joystick” operated system brings submarine technology beyond hydraulic systems and even opens the door to the prospect of various applications of AI. What this does is draw upon computer automation to set the speed and depth of the submarine while human decisionmakers remain in a command and control capacity. Slavonic, said in a Navy report at the USS Montana christening last Fall.Īlongside these innovations, Block III boats also incorporate a cutting-edge “fly-by-wire” computerized navigational system. It extends the global reach of our special forces,” former Acting Undersecretary of the Navy, Gregory J. It gives us an edge in mine delivery and detection. It elevates our anti-submarine and anti-ship power. It can conduct covert long-term surveillance of the land, the littorals and the sea. “The USS Montana can attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |