SSN and AIP

The source was the swedish military webside, and it was officers on the swedish sub that said it. They also said that they sinked the carrier 5 times, and all times got away with it, and most times got away unspotted!
Off course you can not lurk around in real world on battery only, and then get a carrier group lined up in front off you ready to be blown up. But if you are so lucky, then the carrier group have a very big problem.

The best thing with an SSK is the potential treat of if its nearby. A carriergroup reach coast of Norway, and knows 3 subs are out on patrols, they have no idea where those 3 subs are, and have to plan theire operations accordingly.
They have to be farther away from land, conduct much more sub patrolling etc.
In essence, they cant operate in a manner that is the most effective for operation over land.

Example, the swedish skk could detect newest nuclear subs of US between 3 to 4 times longer than the us sub could detect the swedish ssk.

Did the source for that statement detail the conditions in which the, fairly pedestrian, Atlas CSU-90 suite fitted to Swedish SSK’s was able to deliver that capability though hjelpekokk?.

Under exercise rules its entirely possible that the game was weighted in favour of the SSK in order to push the SSN crew to its limits and get training value. If the SSK knew when to expect an SSN, when to employ its AIP and just where to set a trap, that maximised its own concealment, then it is feasible that an SSN could be caught out.

Those are quite contrived conditions though that do not reflect real world operations. Its little different to the claims, by almost eveyone who’s got SSK’s, to have sunk USN supercarriers ‘on exercise’ evidenced by numbers of scope shots…in the real world those exercise conditions dont exist and the SSK has to get ‘lucky’ to have a target blunder into its sights.

The noisy part of nuclear sub was the cooling pump, but its still noise in the cooling system when heated water travels to pips. In the newest nuclear submarines they have brought this noise to a minimum, but its still more noisy than an ssk on battery. Another problem with the coolingsystem, is that the passiv sonar on own sub pics up its own noise from this and thus, the sonar is not as effective that i could be. Example, the swedish skk could detect newest nuclear subs of US between 3 to 4 times longer than the us sub could detect the swedish ssk.
And take in to account that the little swedish ssk do not have nearly as advanced og big passive sonar as the US sub

Off course, the ssk cant move long distances fast, and have many disadvantages compared to an nuclear sub.

Then a AIP equipped SSK has no real advantage over a SSN then???

COST

The smaller size of an SSK, plus its lower noise signature in the ~10-20 knot range, make it better for shallow-water or confined-space work (Scandanavian fjords, large rivers and estuaries, places like the English Channel/Straits of Malacca, etc)… for a short while, until it runs out of fuel for the AIP.

If i am not mistaken, last generation or two of subs have nuclear reactors that don’t even need cooling pumps turned on all the time (as they use natural circulation), and reactor by itself isn’t a noisy thing. So they can be very quiet for certain periods/profiles of mission.

Ohio has that, Seawolf and Virginia too, as well as French Rubis and possibly British Astute. I am not sure of british Vanguard class. Probably newest Russian models use such cooling as well.

Then a AIP equipped SSK has no real advantage over a SSN then???

If i am not mistaken, last generation or two of subs have nuclear reactors that don’t even need cooling pumps turned on all the time (as they use natural circulation), and reactor by itself isn’t a noisy thing. So they can be very quiet for certain periods/profiles of mission.

Ohio has that, Seawolf and Virginia too, as well as French Rubis and possibly British Astute. I am not sure of british Vanguard class. Probably newest Russian models use such cooling as well.

Why couldn’t a SSN be equipped with AIP??? Seem like they could use it to the same advantages as Conventional Submarines. Just such down the Nuclear Reactors and creep along at 3-5 kts…..:confused:

Nuclear submarines can creep along at steerage speeds no problem, but they can’t shut down the reactor entirely because starting it up again is not a simple matter!

Ehh! a nuclear reactor IS air independent, i.e require no oxygen.
I’m guessing what you’d want is some batteries and all but shut down the reactor, perhaps some day with more efficient battery when space is plenty, run like Type 23

A SSN already produces oxygen…………

Ehh! a nuclear reactor IS air independent, i.e require no oxygen.
I’m guessing what you’d want is some batteries and all but shut down the reactor, perhaps some day with more efficient battery when space is plenty, run like Type 23