No Subs for Subs
By Melana Zyla Vickers
In the Cold War, U.S. subs slinked around the north Atlantic,
carrying multi-ton torpedoes that were meant to be fired at the
Soviets. In the Iraq War, at least one U.S. sub slinked around the
Persian Gulf carrying commandos armed with chemical and
bio-weapons-detecting UAVs that they launched over Iraq with
hand-held slingshots.
The unmanned aerial vehicle account is certainly the most colorful
illustration of submarines' flexibility. But it is far from the
only one. Indeed, the sub force's innovations put it among those at
the forefront of the military in terms of transformation.
Consider that submarines launched some 33% of all Tomahawk
land-attack missiles fired in the Iraq war, up from 4% in the 1991
Gulf War. Or that four Trident subs destined for the scrap heap,
designed to carry 24 nuclear missiles, are right now being
converted to carry up to 154 Tomahawks and 66 special forces
troops. In addition, the sub fleet is innovating with a variety of
unmanned underwater vehicle applications.
With these changes, the transforming sub fleet is positioned to
perform three main missions.
Covert Land Attack: Unlike the cruisers or destroyers that have
traditionally fired most of the TLAMs, a submarine can operate
independent of other vessels -- it doesn't need to be escorted and
thus use up other Navy personnel and assets' precious time. Because
of its underwater stealthiness, it can fire missiles without
warning -- a valuable advantage against a country that might
otherwise rush to hide a target from attack. The four converted
Tridents will give the sub fleet an even greater punch.
Intelligence Gathering: Since the last days of the Cold War,
submarine intelligence missions have grown by a third. Again
because of their stealth, subs can get up close to the enemy
shoreline where they can place sensors, tap into cables or perform
other intelligence missions. Their technological backbone has
become far more substantial, with the new Virginia-class sub --
which began development in the late 1990s -- possessing 3,000 times
the computer processing power of its Los Angeles-class predecessor.
In addition, today's subs are connected in real time to other
vessels and command posts, and they can drop unmanned sensors into
the ocean and gather data from them as well. In the future, they'll
also be able to collect data from temporary microsatellites that
they launch over a battlespace from under the sea. These
capabilities are further enhanced by the fact that a
nuclear-powered sub can stay at sea for three months at a
time.
Special Operations: The upcoming launch of the first converted
Trident with its cargo of 66 Navy SEALS will mark a new era for
submarines. They'll be able to get the troops to their destination
stealthily so that they can do reconnaissance and combat missions.
And thanks to craft stored right onboard, the subs can save the
SEALS the exhaustion of swimming to shore in freezing water by
launching them in mini-subs called the Advanced SEAL Delivery
System (ASDS), the first of which was delivered this month. Another
delivery method -- albeit one that's less obviously in need of
launch from a submarine -- is the Mark 8 two-man, radar-evading sea
kayak. The Navy tried it out in the Iraq War, according to
Connecticut's New London Day newspaper.
In all these missions, the subs' ability to launch unmanned craft,
microsatellites, or sensors into the water, air, or in the
backpacks of Special Operations forces extends their utility
further still.
While the sub's missions are changing its virtues remain the same:
Stealthiness, persistence or the fact that their nuclear power
allows them to remain at sea for long periods, and independence
from any other vessel, which gives the submarine operational
efficiency that's unmatched by other ships.
That's not a bad CV. As Congress debates how to fund the next group
of Virginia class subs, as the converted Tridents are prepared for
service, and as the Navy continues to innovate with unmanned
aspects of the sub program, there should be no doubt in the minds
of members of Congress that the $2 billion boats are worth the
investment.
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/defensewrapper.jsp?PID=1051-350&CID=1051-071403B