The HMS Gotland
Posted on 03/25/2005 4:32:39 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Navy to hone hunting skills on Swedish sub
By JACK DORSEY, The Virginian-Pilot
© March 24, 2005
NORFOLK — The Navy has formally agreed to lease a Swedish submarine and its crew for a year so U.S. nuclear-powered subs, as well as other ships and planes, can practice hunting it.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed this week in Norfolk with the Fleet Forces Command, the Swedish navy will send a Gotland-class sub to San Diego, where it will help the sea service train to combat the potential threat of diesel-powered submarines in the hands of rogue nations.
The 200-foot submarine, which displaces 1,490 tons and carries a crew of about 30, will become frequent prey of American sub hunters nearly twice its size. Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines, for example, are 360-feet long, carry a crew of 140 and displace 7,147 tons when submerged.
The U.S. is interested in studying the quietness of the diesel-powered boats, since it no longer has any of its own, Jim Brantley, a spokesman for the Fleet Forces Command, said Wednesday.
Under the $17.5 million contract, the Swedish sub will be transported to San Diego by a heavy lift ship and will provide up to 160 days of service during the contract’s term, Brantley said.
An air independent propulsion system allows it to spend up to two weeks at sea, submerged and without snorkeling, while traveling at five knots, he said. Although it will be attached to San Diego-based Submarine Squadron 11, the vessel will be Swedish-flagged, commanded, manned and operated, with U.S. Navy personnel aboard as riders and observers.
The project also will focus on acoustic analysis of fleet operators aboard all anti-submarine platforms, including carriers, surface ships and aircraft, the Navy said.
“This U.S.-Swedish effort will demonstrate the further development of international interoperability between the two nations,” Inspector of the Royal Swedish Navy, Rear Adm. Jorgen Ericsson, said in a Navy statement.
Nations worldwide continue to acquire quiet and lethal submarines designed to operate in shallow ocean depths, the Navy said. With advanced developments in weaponry and propulsion, the nature of anti-submarine warfare has changed, increasing the risks to U.S. ships.
“This will vastly improve our capability to conduct realistic, effective antisubmarine warfare training that is so critical to the Navy’s ability to accomplish our mission,” said Rear Adm. Donald K. Bullard, director of readiness and training for Fleet Forces Command.
Reach Jack Dorsey at 446-2284 or jack.dorsey@pilotonline.com.
The HMS Gotland
ping!!!!!
A lot of people died trying to develop that capability without using nuclear power.
A dangerous boat to be sure.
Dangerous to other sea-going vessels.
I've also heard it had a Kerry sticker on the stern.
The bow of that sub appears to be very blunt.
I loved that movie. Kelsey Grammar played a sub commander with a tattoo on his.....(it said welcome aboard) and a forward looking admiral sent him out to elude the US sub fleet in a training exercise. A little silly but otherwise good clean fun.
mmmm. Knowledge against China.
Hey, Sukhoi-30MKI, I discovered http://www.pakistanidefence.com/.
Know your enemy.
>>>>Under the $17.5 million contract, the Swedish sub will be transported to San Diego by a heavy lift ship and will provide up to 160 days of service during the contract’s term, Brantley said. <<<<<
Why do they have to transport the thing to San Diego? Cant it make it that far on its own? Are the Swedes afraid of getting lost? Maybe at 5 knots it would take them 6 months to arrive? Sounds pretty slow.
I dont know squat about submarines, but this thing sounds like it was built to stay in home waters for defensive purposes only.
How many DE boats do the Chinese operate and have under construction?
Were/are you really a sarge? Ever seen a tank on a transporter? Why don't they just drive the tank where they need it to go?
DE boats operating in brown water on batteries are a tough adversary. Sonar conditions stink, and they're very quiet. For an example why, just go out to your garage, open your hood, and listen to your car battery for a while.
Glad to see our guys getting to practice like this.
You can't see the bow, it is submerged and far forward of what is visible in the picture.
Don't sell 'em short, Sarge. I don't have many good things to say about their goobermint, but their navy guys are some tough cookies. I did a coupla ops with 'em back in the early 80's. It was pretty common knowlege that in the event of a USSR attack on NATO, those boys would count plenty coup on Alphas, Sierras, Tangos and Typhoons before being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. They fully understood they were the northern trip wire (sorta a sea version of the 38th parallel in Korea). They knew there was no way in hell that most of 'em would survive but they were determined to make it count. Their boats don't have all the glamour of a nuc, but in the ocean version of knife fighting range (shallow depth; close to shore), they have few equals.
To make it realistic - will the Swedes have to speak Chinese?
West coast waters are much deeper than the East coast... I wonder why they aren't operating in the shallows off VA,NC,SC,GA and Fl???
It was built with very limited fuel capacity, most likely. Designed to operate in the Baltic which is a very small sea.
I'll guess that it's because the West Coast-based guys are the ones most expected to encounter hostile DE boats.
Perhaps they go to the mouth of the Gulf of California, or somewhere like that?
Curious as to your thoughts on 16/18?
DPRK/PRC both have DE boats.
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