[John S Mosby]

Critically missing in this 3rd world retro WWII technology “what if” discussion is the fact that diesel boats are noisy. Noise= death. So it wouldn’t matter how many could be deployed, they’d provide a target rich environment for the silent, fast killers of ASW and AS killer subs (the, uh, nuclear ones).

Now, there are some extremely quiet new electric subs that are providing a bit of a scare. But the people who know about them, can’t talk freely about them. And they are being acted upon.

Incidentally, the system that makes fresh water onboard- using a catalytic reaction of sea water— that has a lot of danger in its design and technology, have heard from many inside.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

I'm not a naval tactician so you veterans can correct me, but with planes and satellite surveillance looking for subs, it's not going to be as easy to hide them as in WWII.

Also it wouldn't be really hard to not develop a pattern of snorkeling or refueling making them very predictable and vulnerable targets. Nuclear boats have the advantage of disappearing when the submerge not surfacing till they return.

Question for our active/armchair naval buffs:

Having the diesel running is to be a sitting duck. The article doesn't talk about it, but wouldn't the noise of the diesel hamper the subs passive sonar and make them deaf/blind sitting duck? Helicopters use active noise suppression are there similar systems that function that could cancel the noise of the engines.

[schurmann]

“... diesel boats are noisy. Noise= death. ...

Incidentally, the system that makes fresh water onboard- using a catalytic reaction of sea water— that has a lot of danger in its design and technology, have heard from many inside.”

Most of the people who might know (and deign to talk) describe hybrid submarine power systems (diesel/electric) as quieter than nuclear power systems.

Missing from this thread so far is the truism that detection and masking technologies and tactics are not static. Professor Holmes - like most sea power apologists - assumes that remote (above surface, airborne or orbital) detection of subs will never be possible. Don’t count on it.

Only nuclear power can provide the electricity needed to run the catalytic cracking devices and desalinators that supply air and water for the sub crew. This still guarantees that nuclear boats will continue possess range and endurance no hybrid power system can yet match. If increased cost is the price of outlasting an enemy, we must recall that success might be priceless.