[Pan_Yan]

If you want to see the future of submarine warfare look at this. There are more and more countries that have boats that are quiet and capable. They aren't looking to fight a pitched global battle against massive navies. The Russians have made good money selling their old Kilo subs all over the world. These are the threats that our navy has to worry about. I think we will soon need to move past nuclear power into the fuel cell technologies other countries are producing.

Just as a side note, Kilos can be very quiet when well run and maintained. And they can stay that way for days. But when they have to come up for air (to run the diesels and recharge batteries) they sound like "two skeletons f***ing in a trash can" as told me by several sonar techs.

[myknowledge]

If you want to see the future of submarine warfare look at this. There are more and more countries that have boats that are quiet and capable. They aren't looking to fight a pitched global battle against massive navies. The Russians have made good money selling their old Kilo subs all over the world. These are the threats that our navy has to worry about. I think we will soon need to move past nuclear power into the fuel cell technologies other countries are producing.

So AIP fuel cell D-E subs are the 21st century underwater adversary to the USN's all-nuke sub fleet? Pretty much so.

[Riley]

Just as a side note, Kilos can be very quiet when well run and maintained. And they can stay that way for days. But when they have to come up for air (to run the diesels and recharge batteries) they sound like "two skeletons f***ing in a trash can" as told me by several sonar techs.

It is only by the very narrowest of margins that I managed to avoid spraying my monitor with beer.