Navy Secretary to Commission Submarine Mississippi Today

The Secretary of the Navy will commission the submarine USS Mississippi.

The Navy’s newest Virginia-class attack submarine Mississippi will be commissioned Saturday, June 2, 2012, during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at the Port of Pascagoula in Pascagoula, Miss.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Allison Stiller, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for ship programs, will serve as the ship’s sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

The selection of Mississippi as the name for the submarine is dedicated to the state’s long-standing tradition of shipbuilding in support of our nation’s defense. It also honors the indomitable spirit of the people of Mississippi, who have made great strides in recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This fighting spirit will be an inspiration to all sailors who embark aboard Mississippi.

There have been four previous ships named Mississippi. The first Mississippi, a side wheeler, served as Commodore Matthew Perry’s flagship for his historic voyage to Japan and fought with Admiral Farragut’s forces on the Mississippi River during the Civil War. The second and third were battleships, a BB-23 in World War I and a BB-41 in World War II. The fourth Mississippi, a Virginia-class nuclear guided missile cruiser, was decommissioned in 1997.

Designated SSN 782, the ninth ship of the Virginia class, Mississippi is built to excel in antisubmarine warfare; antiship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Adept at operating in both the world’s shallow littoral regions and deep waters, Mississippi will directly enable five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities -- sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

Capt. John McGrath, a native of Neptune, N.J., and a 1990 graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, will be the ship’s commanding officer, leading a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.

The 7,800-ton Mississippi was built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics-Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industry-Newport News Shipbuilding and was delivered to the Navy one year ahead of contract schedule and under cost. Mississippi took just over 62 months to build, which set the record for the Virginia Class Submarine program's fastest delivery.

The boat is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths of greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. Mississippi is designed with a nuclear reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship -- reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.

The commissioning will be aired live on the U.S. Navy’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/usnavy and Livestream channel http://www.livestream.com/usnavy beginning at 10 a.m. CDT (11 a.m. EDT). Join the conversation on Twitter #NewMiss .

By: Brant

Canada's Subs Beached

Canadian submariners are temporarily out of a job with the drydocking of the RCN's fleet of used submarines.

All four subs are now sidelined because of over-budget and delayed refits, damage from running aground, or in the case of HMCS Chicoutimi, a fire that gutted the sub's interior.

The benching of all of the navy's subs marks the first time since the mid-1960s that Canada's Maritime forces are without a working submarine.

MP Peter Stoffer said the deal to buy four used British subs has been a disaster and leaves a hole in Canada's security.

"When somebody kicked the tires on these subs, they missed a lot," said Stoffer. "If the bad guy knows we don't have any submarines in our waters, then polluting, drug smuggling, illegal immigrants, overfishing, all these things can happen if we don't have a so-called silent deterrent out there."

Since the first Victoria class sub arrived in 2000, the program has been plagued with problems. Dents in the hull, cracked valves and a deadly fire have haunted the fleet and now once again questions about the crippled subs have surfaced in parliament.

On Friday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay defended the submarines in the House of Commons.

"No one would deny there have been challenges with respect to these submarines, which were purchased by the previous government. In fact, Mr. Speaker, submarines bring an important credibility and important capablity to the Royal Canadian Navy," said MacKay.

The government bought the British submarines on the navy's recommendation. The navy is defending the billion dollar plus submarine program saying the boats are vital to the defence of Canada even though none at the moment are capable of firing torpedoes, submerging or even venturing out to sea.

By: Shelldrake

Israel's Submarines

A significant part of their nuclear deterrent, and what ensures their counterattack capability... and yet, does anyone out there know of any wargames in which the Israeli sub fleet is included?

Just like Israel’s submarine fleet is secretive, so are its commanders. Colonel Oded, 44, has recently completed his tenure as the fleet’s commander, ending a chapter of more than 20 years where he performed almost every command post in the fleet. “If a layman would see submarine troops from the side, he would not understand how we can withstand it,” Oded says in a rare interview. “It’s a group of people who perform missions at very certain locations and feel like home there. People wake up for their shifts, eat breakfast and follow a routine in the least trivial locations one can imagine.”

When I ask Oded whether his troops’ passports would be filled with stamps, had they theoretically stamped them at border control, he smiles and says nothing. Indeed, we can imagine that these virtual passports would have been full of stamps. The Navy’s submarines, as opposed to other vessels, never dock at foreign ports, including friendly ones. This is the nature of the service: The submarines only dock in Israel.

By: Brant

Rust Fix Affects Canadian Submarine's Dive Depth

The previously owned Victoria-class submarines purchased from Britain some years ago continue to cause headaches for the Canadian Navy.

One of the Canadian navy's four Victoria-class submarines will be restricted in its ability to dive deep beneath the seas because of rust, according to a document obtained by The Canadian Press.

A Feb. 9, 2010, briefing note prepared by Lt.-Cmdr. Helga Budden recommends repairing seven areas of general rust and three regions of localized pitting rust on HMCS Windsor.

Budden recommends the repair be carried out through a "protect and monitor" option which calls for grinding away and priming the corroded areas, with regular checks of those areas to be conducted once the submarine is operational.

But her note says that option would result in a new depth limitation for the submarine.

"Materiel safety of the submarine would be maintained through a depth limitation caveat on the Windsor's submarine safety document register," says the note, obtained under federal access-to-information legislation.

The note was based on research done by defence research scientists in Halifax.

By: Shelldrake

BUB: A Quick Tour Around the CENTCOM

Here's a quick look around the CENTCOM AOR.

Syria is sending the army into a town where some disputed fighting happened earlier this week.

A restive Syrian town awaited a threatened military crackdown on Tuesday after bloody events in which state media say over 120 security personnel were killed.
Exactly what happened in the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughour at the weekend is unclear, but it seems to have been one of the bloodiest episodes in nearly 12 weeks of popular protests against President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year rule.
Residents said a column of Armored vehicles and troops, apparently heading for Jisr al-Shughour, had reached the town of Ariha, 25 km (16 miles) to the east, a day after Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar said the army would carry out its "national duty to restore security."
Official accounts say gunmen roaming the town and setting fire to government buildings had inflicted the extremely high death toll on security men, said to have been killed in an ambush and attacks on a post office and a security post.
Residents and activists dispute this, saying the casualties followed a mutiny among forces sent to quell civilian protests.
Syria has barred most foreign media from the country, making it hard to verify events. It has released no video footage to back its account of the Jisr al-Shughour bloodshed.

The BBC also talks about the preparations in the town.

The northern Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour is bracing for an assault by the military after the government said 120 security forces personnel had been killed there by 'armed gangs'.
The government says it will act 'with force' to restore control.
Activists say the source of the violence is unclear, possibly involving a military mutiny.
Residents have posted messages on Facebook saying they fear a slaughter and appealing for help from outside.
Activists insist the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad is peaceful and scorn the government's talk of armed gangs.
Dozens of Syrians who crossed the northern border into Turkey are being treated in hospitals in the south-east of the country for wounds they say they received in clashes with Syrian forces, Turkish officials say.
One man who crossed the border in a serious condition died from gunshot wounds, a Turkish diplomat has told the AFP news agency.

Al Qaeda has taken a city in Yemen as the country starts to fall apart.

Fighting flared on Tuesday in a southern Yemen city seized by al Qaeda and other Islamist militants, killing at least 15 people, after Washington urged President Ali Abdullah Saleh to hand over power peacefully.
Saleh left for Saudi Arabia at the weekend for surgery on wounds suffered in an attack on his palace in Sanaa -- an absence that could be an opportunity to ease him out of office after nearly 33 years ruling the impoverished Arab nation.
Global powers worry that chaos would make it easier for the Yemen-based wing of al Qaeda to operate and multiply risks for neighboring Saudi Arabia and other Gulf oil producers.

The Marines are out in California learning to farm before their next Afghanistan deployment.

At a university farm in California's crop-abundant Central Valley, a group of U.S. Marines trudged through muddy fields on Monday to learn how to tend pomegranate trees, a crop popular in war-torn Afghanistan where they will soon deploy.
The training at California State University, Fresno is part of the U.S. war effort, and the lessons learned could help Marines engage with wary Afghan civilians, a large majority of whom rely on farming to survive.
"We're building Afghans' capacity to make money for themselves," said 1st Lt. Karl Kadon with the Marines Civil Affairs Detachment, who participated in the training last spring and has used the information he learned in Helmand province.
The training, Kadon said, armed him with the understanding of agriculture and gave him the ability to ask questions and assist Afghan farmers with problems. It was so helpful, he said, that his 11th Marine Regiment Civil Affairs Detachment returned to Fresno State. The regiment helps military commanders by working with civil authorities and civilian populations.
During this week's training, Marines will learn first-hand and in the classroom about irrigation practices, soil salinity, plant recognition and livestock care, among other topics. Kadon helped create the training after doing intelligence work in Iraq and after working in civil affairs in Afghanistan.
Military officials chose Fresno State because of its expertise in agriculture and because crops such as almonds and pomegranates in the Central Valley are similar to those in Helmand.

The Iranians are pushing submarines into the Red Sea.

Iran has sent submarines to the Red Sea, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified source, in a move that could anger Israel.
"Iranian military submarines entered the Red Sea waters with the goal of collecting information and identifying other countries' combat vessels," Fars said.
It did not specify the number or type of vessels involved but said they were sailing alongside warships of the Navy's 14th fleet.
State-run Press TV said in May the 14th fleet, comprised of two vessels, the Bandar Abbas warship and Shahid Naqdi destroyer, had been sent to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
"The fleet entered the Gulf of Aden region in May and has now entered the Red Sea in the continuation of its mission," Fars said.
Two Iranian warships passed through the Suez Canal in February, the first such move since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, en route to Syria. Tehran said the mission was one of "peace and friendship" but Israel called it a "provocation."
Iran announced last August it had expanded its fleet of domestically built 120-tonne Ghadir-class submarines to 11 which it said would be used to patrol the Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Meanwhile in Libya (yes, we know it's not CENTCOM) there are more explosions in Tripoli and the rebels are still "advancing".

Loud explosions shook Tripoli on Tuesday in what appeared to be stepped up NATO air strikes on the Libyan capital, a day after rebels seized a town in the west, driving out Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Several huge explosions shook the area around Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound in central Tripoli, sending columns of grey smoke into the sky.
The blasts, shortly before noon, appeared to be a rare daytime attack by NATO on the compound. It has been struck several times in recent weeks, usually at night.
The smoke could be seen from a hotel near the compound where Reuters and other foreign journalists are based.

By: Brant

IDF Acquires Additional Submarines

Two additional German-made submarines will join Israel's navy in the near future.

The Israel Navy is making advanced preparations to absorb two new German-made Dolphin-class submarines, Israel Defence Force (IDF) journal Bamachaneh reported in its latest issue.

According to the report, the number of soldiers selected for submarine warfare has grown by 30% in the latest IDF recruitment batches, in order to man the additional submarines.

"We're at the peak of a process and we're slowly adding more crews to be trained for the position," Col. Ronen Nimni, Commander of the Naval Training Base, was quoted as saying in the report.

The Israel Navy currently has three submarines, also of the Dolphin class, so the addition of two subs means that the defence force is growing 66% bigger.

The existing three submarines carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles of an unidentified type with a range of 800 miles.

The decision to increase the number of combat soldiers and officers in the Submarine Flotilla will also affect logistics at the Naval Training Base including a need for more spacious rooms for soldiers, more classrooms and more instructors.

By: Shelldrake

HMS Astute Now Commanded By Navy Hero

HMS Astute has a new commander and will now continue with sea trials.

A navy hero who saved his crew after a deadly tragedy under the polar ice cap has been put in command of calamity sub HMS Astute.

Commander Iain Breckenridge takes over from Andy Coles, who was relieved of his command last week after the showpiece sub got stuck for 10 hours off Skye in October.

And his crew will be confident he can handle any trouble that comes his way, after he coped with a terrifying fire on another nuclear sub, HMS Tireless, in 2007.

Tireless was under the polar ice north of Alaska when an oxgen generator exploded, killing two sailors. He led his crew through the crisis as the vessel filled with smoke and found a thin enough section of ice to surface. He was awarded the OBE for his role in the crisis.

Iain was confirmed on Monday as the new commander of s1billion Astute, the most advanced nuclear-powered sub on Earth.

By: Shelldrake

Iranian Submarines To Be Deployed In International Waters

Iran aspires to be a major player on the world stage and the next step in the process seems to be to deploy its submarines in the high seas and international waters.

Iran plans to deploy several units of its subsurface vessels in the high seas and international waters as part of its strategy to defend the country's interests abroad, Commander of the Iranian Army Major General Ataollah Salehi announced on Tuesday.

"With the support of God Almighty, we will witness the dispatch of the Navy's subsurface vessels to free waters and the high seas in the near future," Salehi said.

"The only force which can act as a strategic force is the Navy," he reiterated, and added, "This force can even dispatch warships to the high seas and fulfill missions in there."

Elsewhere, Salehi pointed to the Navy's self-sufficiency and initiatives in producing various kinds of warfare equipment, and said, "Today the Navy's capabilities have expanded to such a level that it will renew and indigenize more than two-third of its equipment by the next decade."

The Iranian military commanders have always announced that the Navy's presence in the high seas and international waters is part of Tehran's strategy for displaying its might and power to the world.

By: Shelldrake

Last Swiftsure-Class Submarine Decommissions In December

Royal Navy submariners will bid a fond farewell to HMS Sceptre when the Swiftsure-class submarine decommissions next month.

The curtain falls on Britain’s second generation of hunter-killer submarines on December 10 when HMS Sceptre – the oldest active nuclear boat in the world – bows out. The boat, the last of six Swiftsure-class Fleet submarines which have served the nation since 1973, decommissions in Devonport after 32 years under the White Ensign.

Veterans of the S-class are converging on the Hamoaze for the farewell, plus as many of Sceptre’s 16 COs who can make the ceremony, the Band of the Scots Guards, the submarine’s affiliated unit, and VIPs from the town which has supported the boat throughout her long life: Wigan. Sceptre last sailed in May, when she returned from an eight-month deployment. Since then she’s been kept in readiness in Devonport – where nuclear submarines are deactivated, rather than the S-boat’s long-standing home of Faslane.

Despite next month’s decommissioning, many of Sceptre’s crew will stay with her into the new year to help with stripping her out and to look after the boat’s reactor. Although it’s been ‘switched off’ since the boat returned from deployment, the reactor takes years to cool down (it’s a natural process – there’s no way of speeding it along). And even though it’s not active, the reactor has to be treated in the same way as if Sceptre were sailing the Seven Seas. It means the last ship’s company won’t leave the boat until some time in 2012.

By then, most of the deeps will have been either redeployed (a good number will join HMS Ambush, the latest Astute-class boat which is launched next month), or left the Senior Service. Among the latter is LS(CSSM) ‘Spud’ Murphy, who’s spent 15 years in S-boats (he’s also served in O, R and T-class submarines).

“It’s not just a boat. This is my last S-boat, in fact my last boat full stop,” he says,

“I get a lump in my throat seeing my old boats laid up here in the basin, so I will definitely have one when Sceptre goes as well.”

Sceptre’s final CO, Cdr Steve Waller, says despite her age, the boat has proved herself to the very end.

“Operationally we’re just as capable as any other boat in the Navy – on our final deployment we were available for sea on 275 days and we do the same job as an A or T boat,” he added.

It’s not the age of the hull or the equipment inside which has determined Sceptre’s fate, but her reactor life – and it provides the boat with all her power.

“There’s ultimate pride in being the last of the S-boats,” Cdr Waller added. “We’re conscious that we’re flying the flag as the last of class – a lot of my ship’s company were offered other boats but they wanted to be on the last S-boat.

“December 10 draws a line under the Swiftsure class. It’s not just the end of a boat, it’s the end of an era. It will be a sad day. Sceptre’s done wonders.”

By: Shelldrake

Submarine To Join Ukraine's Navy

Would you want to serve on a submarine that has been under repair for almost 20 years? Sailors in the Ukrainian Navy will get the chance when a former USSR submarine enters service in 2011.

Ukraine’s only submarine ‘Zaporizhzhia’ which has been undergoing repairs for almost ten years is expected to enter service in 2011, according to the Defence Ministry.

RADM Yury Ilyin, Ukrainian Navy Deputy Commander was quoted as saying that Zaporizhzhia will start mooring trials in December and sea trials in May 2011 after which it will join Ukraine's naval forces.

The submarine was launched in Leningrad in 1970. Until 1990 it had been with the USSR Navy. Ukraine received the submarine during the division of the Black Sea Fleet after the USSR collapse. It has been repaired since 1991, media reports said.

By: Shelldrake

Japanese Consider Larger Sub Fleet

Concerned about the recent growth and greater capability of China's navy, Japan is looking to boost the size of its submarine fleet.

Japan may increase the size of its submarine fleet, officials said, as concerns rise that the expansion of the Chinese navy is tipping the regional balance of power.

The Defense Ministry said a bigger submarine fleet is under consideration, with a firm proposal likely to come as early as December. Officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday refused to give further details because the plan has not yet been formally tabled.

According to Japanese media reports, the number of submarines would be increased from 16 to 22 over the next four years, a substantial rise that could generate concern from neighboring China.

Though well outnumbered by the Chinese — who now have about 60 subs — the Japanese navy's submarine fleet is significantly augmented by U.S. subs deployed throughout the region. Japanese subs are generally believed to be better equipped than many of the Chinese vessels and are hard to detect.

Takehiko Yamamoto, a professor of international relations at Tokyo's Waseda University, said the move by Japan reflects a desire to counterbalance the Chinese navy's growth and to strengthen joint Japan-U.S. operations.

Yamamoto said Japanese military planners are particularly concerned that China is seeking to have a more credible "blue-water navy" that can operate farther away from its coastlines.

"That has created a sense of insecurity," he said.

By: Shelldrake

GrogNews Morning Headlines - UPDATED

With all the changes in DADT floating around, the policy now (for the next 5-10 minutes at least) is that service secretaries must now approve any DADT separations.

The US Navy as ID'ed the first 4 subs that will be carrying women in their crews. The first 4 boats are split evenly between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets: USS Wyoming, USS Maine, USS Ohio, and USS Georgia. (Warning: the link was causing browsers to crash earlier today; might be a bad ad link or something). See below for the repost of the article.

It looks like there are about 2000 bodies in mass graves discovered on Iwo Jima in areas marked on US military maps as "enemy cemeteries".

The French police got frisky with some demonstrators, and forcibly opened a blockaded fuel depot.

Following the recent humongoid sale of military equipment to Iran, the US is piling on the aid to the Pakistani military aid to the tune of $2 billion. What, the ISI isn't screwing us enough already?

There are 20 dead in clashes with Islamist forces clash in Somalia. As Shelldrake noted in an article earlier, this is bad and it's not getting any better.

Want to know what's wrong with the Caucasus? The Economist reviews a book that can tell you all about it.

By: Brant


Full article on women / sub crews.

The Navy selected four submarines Thursday to carry the first women serving aboard what has been the last class of military vessels off-limits to them.

Twenty-four female officers are in training for submarine service and are expected to join their boats in December 2011.

The Navy selected the USS Wyoming and USS Georgia, based in Kings Bay, Ga., and the USS Maine and USS Ohio, with their home port in Bangor, Wash.

The Navy announced in the spring that it was lifting the ban on women serving aboard subs. They had been barred on the theory that the close quarters and long deployments common to these vessels were unsuitable for a coed crew.

The 560-foot nuclear-powered ballistic- or cruise-missile submarines chosen Thursday are big by submarine standards, allowing the Navy greater flexibility in designing accommodations for the first women aboard.

The initial class of women will serve in teams of three, all sharing a stateroom, Navy spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said. The lone bathroom for officers will bear a reversible sign — letting men know that it's in use by women and vice versa.

They'll be divided up so that women are assigned to each sub's two rotating crews.

Limiting women to officer slots lets the Navy, for a time at least, sidestep the more vexing and cost-prohibitive problem of modifying subs to have separate bunks and bathrooms for enlisted men and women. Enlisted sailors make up about 90 percent of a sub's 160-member crew.

HMS Astute Grounded

It appears that someone has "scraped the paint" in the course of HMS Astute's sea trials off the west coast of Scotland. Definitely not a good career move!

The Royal Navy's newest and largest attack submarine HMS Astute has got into difficulty off Skye, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed. An eye-witness said the sub - described as the stealthiest ever built in the UK - appeared to have grounded.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "This is not a nuclear incident.

"We are responding to the incident and can confirm that there are no injuries to personnel and the submarine remains watertight."

The spokeswoman added: "There is no indication of any environmental impact."

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was alerted to the incident at about 0819 BST. A spokesman said they were monitoring the situation. A Royal Navy helicopter has also been at the scene. Eye-witness Ross McKerlich said the submarine was about a mile from his home and appeared slightly tilted.

He said: "When I woke up this morning and looked out my bedroom window I could see the submarine.

"I am very surprised how far in it has come as there are good navigational buoyes there."

Mr McKerlich added: "There was a helicopter hovering over the top - it's now gone back and there are two Naval vessels from the local base, Kyle of Lochalsh, standing off to the north of her.

"Earlier in the day they did have ropes and they were trying to tow but now the tide has gone back and they're just standing off."

HMS Astute, built at by BAE Systems in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, is believed to have been undergoing sea trials as it is not expected to enter service until next year.

By: Shelldrake

China and South Korea Fuel Submarine Arms Race

Underwater traffic cops may soon be needed to direct submarine traffic in the Pacific as Pacific Rim nations dramatically increase their submarine fleets.

China and South Korea are expanding their submarine fleets as the U.S. Navy shrinks its own. The conservative Heritage Foundation in a report last Tuesday said that by 2025 the number of U.S. submarines in the Pacific Ocean will fall from 30 to 27 while China will have 78 submarines and South Korea 26.

Mackenzie Eaglen and Jon Rodeback, who prepared the report titled "Submarine Arms Race in the Pacific" among a flurry of such papers issuing from the think tank, said the military strength of the U.S. and Russia is waning while China and South Korea's capabilities are rising and India and Australia also aspire to bolster their naval capabilities. In an attempt to dominate in the Pacific, these countries are increasing the numbers of diesel-electric attack, nuclear-powered attack, guided-missile and ballistic missile submarines.

China's growth is especially noteworthy. The Financial Times says that China's naval forces are already world class with 255,000 sailors, 26 destroyers, 49 frigates and 58 amphibious landing vessels. Since 1995, China has focused on submarine construction and built 31 new models by 2005. China presently has 60 submarines including six nuclear and 50 diesel-powered ones.

The South Korean Navy has also bolstered its submarine fleet. Since the 1,300-ton submarine Jangbogo was commissioned in 1993, a total of 12 submarines are in use, including the 1,800-ton Ahn Jung Geun commissioned last year. From 2012 to 2018, South Korea plans to manufacture six 1,800-ton submarines and nine 3,000-ton submarines to become Asia's second largest power after China in terms of the number of submarines.

Australia and India feel they have no choice but to bolster their own naval warfare capabilities. Australia plans to boost the number of its submarines from six to 12 and India from 17 to 24. Meanwhile, Russia is struggling to just maintain its existing level of military capability. Pacifist Japan and North Korea with its fleet of rusting vessels are unlikely to flex much naval muscle in the region.

By: Shelldrake

Joint Anti-Submarine Exercise Launched by US and South Korea

The joint anti-submarine drill that was postponed earlier in the month because of an approaching typhoon is now underway in the Sea of Japan.

The United States and South Korea launched a joint anti-submarine exercise Monday in a show of strength against the communist North, which is preparing for a key meeting of its ruling party.

The exercise starts a day before the opening of the Workers' Party of Korea conference in Pyongyang, expected to pave the way for a power transfer from Kim Jong-Il to his son Jong-Un.

The Yellow Sea drill is the latest in a flurry of exercises Seoul has staged -- either alone or with the United States -- since North Korea was accused of sinking a South Korean warship in March with the loss of 46 lives.

"About 1,700 South Korean and US navy forces are involved in submarine detection training and high-level combat training," said a spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Seoul and Washington, citing a multinational investigation, accuse Pyongyang of attacking South Korea's warship near the tense sea border but the North has angrily denied involvement in the incident.

The latest exercise includes two guided-missile destroyers and a fast attack submarine from the US Navy and two South Korean destroyers.

And of course, the Norks aren't happy that this latest joint exercise is taking place.

"The warmongers blustered that they would conduct intensive training of the strategy, technique and procedures for countering someone's submarine infiltration, openly disclosing that the joint naval military exercises are targeted against the DPRK," said the state-run Korean Central News Agency. North Korea is officially called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

By: Shelldrake

HMS Astute Joins Royal Navy

HMS Astute, the lead ship in a powerful next-generation class of nuclear hunter-killer submarine, has been commissioned into the Royal Navy.

The UK's most powerful attack submarine, HMS Astute, has been welcomed into the Royal Navy today in a commissioning ceremony overseen by the boat's patron, the Duchess of Cornwall.

HMS Astute, which officially becomes 'Her Majesty's Ship' today, is quieter than any of her predecessors, meaning she has the ability to operate covertly and remain undetected in almost all circumstances despite being fifty per cent bigger than any attack submarine in the Royal Navy's current fleet.

The latest nuclear-powered technology means she will never need to be refuelled and can circumnavigate the world submerged, manufacturing the crew's oxygen from seawater as she goes.

The submarine has the capacity to carry a mix of up to 38 Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, and can target enemy submarines, surface ships and land targets with pinpoint accuracy, while her world-beating sonar system has a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,500km).

[snip...]

About HMS Astute
-She is 97 metres from bow to stern.
-She has a beam of 11.2 metres.
-She displaces 7,400 tonnes of seawater.
-Her cabling and pipework would stretch from Glasgow to Dundee.
-She is the first Royal Navy submarine not to have a traditional periscope, instead -using electro-optics to capture a 360-degree image of the surface for subsequent analysis by the commanding officer.
-Astute is the first submarine to have an individual bunk for each crew member.
-She manufactures her own oxygen from seawater as well as her own drinking water. -She could theoretically remain submerged for her 25-year life, if it were not for the need to restock the crew's food supplies.
-She is faster under the water than she is on the surface - capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots (37km/h), although her top speed is classified.
-Astute's crew of 98 are fed by five chefs who, on an average patrol, will serve up 18,000 sausages and 4,200 weetabix for breakfast.

By: Shelldrake

British Subs Stalked By Russians

In a disturbing return to Cold War tactics, Russian attack submarines have been tracking Britain's nuclear missile submarines.

A specially upgraded Russian Akula class submarine has been caught trying to record the acoustic signature made by the Vanguard submarines that carry Trident nuclear missiles, according to senior Navy officers.

British submariners have also reported that they are experiencing the highest number of "contacts" with Russian submarines since 1987.

If the Russians are able to obtain a recording of the unique noise of the boat's propellers it would have serious implications for Britain's nuclear deterrent. Using its sophisticated sonar, the Akula would be able to track Vanguards and potentially sink them before they could launch their Trident D4 missiles.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt that, within the past six months, a Russian Akula entered the North Atlantic and attempted to track a Vanguard. The incident has remained secret until now.

It is understood that the Russians stood off Faslane, where the British nuclear force is based, and waited for a Trident-carrying boat to come out for its three-month patrol to provide the Continuous At Sea Deterrent.

While patrolling in the North Atlantic, there are a limited number of places the Vanguard is permitted to go and it is thought that the Akula attempted to track it on several occasions.

Navy commanders are understood to have ordered a Trafalgar-class hunter-killer submarine to protect the Vanguard. A recording of the Akula was made by the Trafalgar submarine's sonar operators and has been played to The Daily Telegraph.

"The Russians have been playing games with us, the Americans and French in the North Atlantic," a senior Navy commander said.

"We have put a lot of resources into protecting Trident because we cannot afford by any stretch to let the Russians learn the acoustic profile of one of our bombers as that would compromise the deterrent."

By: Shelldrake

Russian Nuclear Sub Leased By India

The Indian Navy has added a Russian Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (K-152 Nerpa) to its fleet through a 10-year lease deal with Russia.

Russia has reportedly leased a nuclear-powered submarine to India.

The RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies said Friday the Nerpa submarine manned by an Indian crew has sailed to India.

The sub had an accident that killed 20 Russian seamen during sea trials in 2008. Its fire-extinguishing system activated in error, spewing Freon gas that suffocated the victims and injured 21 others.

Officials have blamed the accident on human error, but details of the official investigation have been kept under wraps.

By: Shelldrake

New Mini Subs For Iranian Navy

I suspect that Iran's growing fleet of mini subs is being taken more seriously by Western military planners in light of the sinking of a South Korean corvette by what was most likely a Nork mini sub.

Iran's navy on Sunday took delivery of four new mini submarines of the home-produced Ghadir class, media reports said.

The navy already owns seven submarines of this type which weigh 120 tonnes and were first launched in 2007.

Iran has described the Ghadir as stealth submarines, hardly detectable by sonar and aimed at coastal operations in shallow waters, notably in the Gulf.

The vessel is based on North Korean models of the Yono class and can shoot torpedoes, but their main tasks appear to be moving commandos, laying mines and reconnaissance missions, experts say.

Iran's inventory of submarines patrolling Gulf waters also includes up to three Russian-built Kilo class diesel submarines bought in 1990s and a Nahang, an Iranian-built light sub weighing 500 tonnes that was first launched in 2006.

In 2008 Iran started building a new submarine named Qaem which is due to be launched within days, Iran's army chief Ataollah Salehi said last week, describing it as "semi-heavy" and capable of operating in the high seas such as the Indian Ocean or the Gulf of Aden.

Little information has been released about this home-produced vessel, which is said to be capable of firing missiles and torpedoes.

By: Shelldrake

BUB: Exercises A-Go-Go

South Korea aren't the only ones holding large-scale exercises right now. This afternoon's BUB looks at some of the others.


The Brits and Indians are staging a submarine duel while PM Cameron is in town.

The Indian and British navies are all set to launch submarine combat wargames on the western coast on Wednesday, even as British PM David Cameron begins his three-day visit to India.

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As for the naval wargames beginning Wednesday, the Trafalgar-class HMS Talent submarine is going to match its combat skills against the Indian INS Shankush submarine off the Goa coast.

Along with this, the Indian and British navies are also conducting a "table-top'' exercise, dubbed Konkan-2010'', at the maritime warfare centre in Mumbai. "Experiences from this exercise will be utilised to refine concepts for future Konkan exercises with warships, submarines and aircraft,'' said an official.

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The US and Mozambique will hold a joint exercise under AFRICOM.

The U.S. and Mozambican militaries have begun a week of joint training exercises in peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations.

Mozambique's defense ministry said Wednesday the exercises in Moamba district, in southern Mozambique, will include about 800 Mozambican and 700 U.S. personnel.

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China is feeling the need to show off their own naval muscles in response to recent US-SK puddle-splashing.

China's air force this week is conducting a five-day exercise involving scores of aircraft and 12,000 soldiers. Dubbed "Vanguard 2010," it is the latest sign of China flexing its muscles amid rising military tensions with the United States.

The strains — especially over operations in the South China Sea — represent a new area of dispute between China and the U.S.

China's military drills were once top secret, announced only after they were completed. But these days China's armed forces seem to want to broadcast its movements to the world.

This latest exercise is taking place in the central province of Henan and eastern province of Shandong, which abuts the Yellow Sea, and includes 100 military aircraft. It is the latest in a series of high-profile maneuvers, including naval exercises last week in the South China Sea, which were the largest of their kind.

By: Brant