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December 23, 2013: In late 2013 the Russian navy announced that plans to refurbish its nine Akula class SSNs (nuclear attack subs) would take longer than expected. In fact, the first Akula will be out of service for three years for the upgrade. The other eight subs will get done more quickly, but the entire job will take at least a decade and probably closer to fifteen years. The refurb involves replacing most if the wiring and electrical systems as well as the missile handling equipment. Many mechanical systems will be replaced of upgraded. The end result will be a...

T'was the night before Christmas, and what no-one could see, The men with the dolphins were under the sea. Most of the crew was flat on their backs, Snoring and dreaming all snug in their racks. Those men on watch were making their rounds, Some manning the planes or listening for sounds. Back in maneuvering or down in the room, They all hoped the oncoming watch would come soon. I'd finished some PM's whose time was now due, And hoped for some sleep, even an hour or two. Against better judgment I took a short stroll, And found myself wandering...

<p>It could dive deeper than any other submarine, and when it reached the ocean floor, the one-of-a-kind U.S. navy vessel could roll on wheels with lights illuminating the depths outside its windows.</p> <p>The nuclear-powered NR-1, launched in Groton in 1969, was one of the most secretive vessels in the U.S. undersea force.</p>

AUSTRALIA has asked Japan to consider providing highly advanced propulsion technology to be used in the navy's planned 12 new submarines. Defence Minister David Johnston has told The Weekend Australian Japanese officials had visited submarine maintenance facilities in Adelaide and talks were continuing. In a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Senator Johnston spoke about the Abbott government's wish to cement closer defence ties with Japan, including much closer defence-industry ties. Senator Johnston said later he was particularly interested in the use of Japan's extremely effective submarine technology in Australia's future submarine, which is most likely to be an...

One of the boats can clearly be seen in the water at the Bostanu shipyard on the Strait of Hormuz in Astrium imagery taken on 27 October. It measures 40.5 m long and 4 m wide at the waterline. A second can be seen under construction at the Bandar Anzali Naval Base on the Caspian Sea on 17 September. It is partially shrouded by scaffolding, but is approximately 48 m long and 6 m wide.

SINGAPORE: Singapore, which has Southeast Asia’s most modern military, said Monday it was acquiring two new submarines from German defence contractor ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. In a statement, the defence ministry said it signed a contract to acquire two “Type 218SG” submarines, which are projected to be delivered in 2020. It said the deal included a logistics package and a crew training arrangement in Germany, but did not reveal the total cost. The two new submarines, along with Archer-class submarines purchased from Sweden in 2005 will replace its Challenger-class submarines that were built in the 1960s and acquired by the city-state...

GROTON, Conn. (AP) — The submarine that starred in "The Hunt for Red October," the USS Dallas, returned from its last overseas deployment Monday. Next year, after 33 years in the fleet, the Dallas will be inactivated. Tom Clancy's Cold War thriller made the Dallas famous, but in Navy circles it is better known for being the first attack submarine to carry a dry-deck shelter, which houses a vehicle for launching and recovering special operations forces. "Of all the submarines that would be finishing up their service life, there are a couple out there that people know by name, and...

Poland believes German-made submarines are not up to the job of defending Polish shores, but sources have told The Local that on the back of a landmark naval deal between the two countries, Poland is likely to lease two subs anyway. On May 27th German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière and his Polish counterpart Tomasz Siemoniak signed a “Letter of Intention” to increase co-operation between the two countries’ navies in 28 areas including through a “submarine operating authority”. The agreement pledged to “provide a sound foundation for the further enhancement of the German-Polish naval cooperation in the future,” in several...

By Roger Thompson, MA, FRSA In 1959, The U.S. Navy commissioned its final diesel-electric submarine combatant, the USS Blueback, which served until 1990. She was the last of her kind in the American Navy because of its insistence, or some would say, dogma, that all combatant submarines must be nuclear powered. After all, diesel-electric submarines are merely surface ships that can submerge only for short periods of time. They are too slow as well, and for these reasons primarily, they are thought to be inferior to nuclear submarines. At least that's the way the U.S. Navy thinks, but I would...

It’s not the usual kind of fanfare you would associate with the launching of a nation’s cutting edge new submarine, but this is Japan – and they do things a little bit differently here. Amid balloons, party banners, the odd “rising sun” war flag here and there, and confetti (lots of confetti, there has to be confetti), the Japan Marine Self Defense Force (MSDF) launched its newest state-of-the-art toy – the submarine Kokuryu, which literally means “Black Dragon”. The submarine Kukoryu was made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and is said to be made with leading edge technology, costing Japanese taxpayers...

Saudi Arabia 'plans to buy German submarines' A German newspaper has reported that Saudi Arabia plans to buy submarines from Germany. The news could intensify discussion on weapons exports during the current coalition negotiations in Berlin. The German weekly Bild am Sonntag said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia wanted to purchase five German Type 209 submarines for 12 billion euros ($16.5 billion). The paper said that in the long term, the kingdom was interested in buying altogether 25 of the vessels. The newspaper said it had information that the German chancellery had in the summer already signaled a willingness to...

China decommissions first nuclear submarine BEIJING: China has decommissioned its first nuclear-powered submarine after more than 40 years of service amidst the maiden display of its fleet of atomic submarines. The Long March No.1's nuclear devices were properly disposed of and scientists have decontaminated the warehouse where atomic items were stored during the past 40 years, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported today. The submarine will be used as an exhibit after it is released from military service. China yesterday displayed its nuclear submarines for the first time to showcase their "excellent safety" record as part of a naval...

NEW DELHI: India now seems all set to acquire a second nuclear-powered submarine on lease from Russia, at a cost of about $1.5 billion, to bolster its ageing underwater combat arm that took a major hit with the sinking of a conventional submarine in Mumbai in August. While the over 8,000-tonne new steel shark will have a miniaturized nuclear reactor at its core for propulsion, it will not be armed with long-range nuclear missiles because of international treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime. But, much like the first leased submarine INS Chakra being currently operated by the Navy, it...

The Ministry of Defense's weapons development administration (Mafat) is targeting a global market worth $2 billion annually. The Ministry of Defense's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (Mafat) has set the next challenge for Israel's defense industry: do for unmanned submarines what it did for unmanned aerial warfare. If the defense industry moves quickly and purposefully in identifying this emerging market, and offers a well-functioning unmanned submarine, it could be riding the right wave in a decade from now: Mafat aeronautics division director Dr. Yuval Cohen estimates that the market will be worth $2 billion a year...

Exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of the Royal Navy's gruelling submarine command course known as Perisher 12 Oct 2013 11:53 THE RECORD is the first paper to go behind the scenes as officers are put through their paces to test their talent and nerve in the exhausting and body-aching submarine command course nicknamed Perisher. Dan Simmonds is put through his paces Brad Wakefield LIEUTENANT Commander Dan Simmonds gave the order to raise hunter killer HMS Talent to periscope depth before launching his torpedo attack. This was his most dangerous mission yet. Admiral Corder was standing feet away, his eyes flicking...

PLA Navy to modify purchased Lada-class submarines with Russia A Lada-class submarine designed by the Russian Rubin Design Bureau. (Internet Photo) Sources from Russia's Rubin Design Bureau based in St Petersburg said that the Lada-class mini submarines sold to the People's Liberation Army Navy will be equipped with Chinese power and electronic fire-control systems, reports the Kanwa Defense Review operated by Andrei Chang or Pinkov (Andrei Chang), a military analyst in Canada. The purchase was confirmed in a report by the US-based Strategy Page, but it is said that the four Lada class diesel-electric submarines will be modified specifically for...

The project, which got underway in October 2011, was implemented to save and preserve the historic WWII era submarine, which is located at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hampshire. The project has so far seen the ship’s outer structure repaired and maintenance access around the site improved. Phase One of the project, which reached completion in summer 2012 focused on the construction of a cofferdam around the base of the submarine, ensuring easy access for regular maintenance. Phase Two, meanwhile, restored HMS Alliance’s exterior which had corroded so badly that sections of the submarine were in danger of...

Torpedoes and sandals: The daily life of a submarine's crew A half-billion dollars worth submarine carries IDF soldiers to covert ops thousands of miles away from home. What does keeping quiet has to do with missile precision? What do they do when a soldier needs surgery? And who's the lucky guy who gets a daily shower? Ynet gets rare glimpse into Israel's most covert unit Few IDF soldiers receive a personal thank-you from a major general when they return to their base after an operation. Thus, the importance of the submarine unit, one of the most covert units in the...

A daunting quest to save our subs "UP periscope" is the famed catchcry of submarine commanders in Hollywood war films, but even that basic command now poses a challenge for Australia's real-life Collins-class submarines. The periscopes on the Collins-class boats are riddled with electrical problems, are prone to breakdown and sometimes suck water into the submarine. Almost a third of their electrical components are obsolete and when they break, there are no spares, meaning they have to be sent to Germany to be fixed. A confidential Defence report, revealed in The Australian today, says the periscopes alone pose a "very...

Funding cuts would weaken U.S. submarine readiness: Navy (Reuters) - Top U.S. Navy officials warned Congress that any further delays or cuts in funding would undercut the readiness of the declining submarine fleet, already slated for reduction by nearly 30 percent to 52 ships from 73, before an expected 2030s' rebound. Even as missile threats grow, the Navy's ability to keep its attack and guided missile submarines deployed around the world will be lessened by 40 percent over the next 15 years, the officials told the sea-power subcommittee of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. They said military commanders...