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Submarine Technology
Multiple roles and
Robotics, the Silent
World’s Tech Mutations
Recent operations in the Mediterranean Sea during Libyan crisis as well as antipiracy
activities in the Indian Ocean, highlighted the importance of underwater platform
intelligence and special forces support operations in addition to traditional SSK patrol,
deterrence, surveillance of, and attack against, illegal operations.
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Luca Peruzzi
T
he importance of such capabilities is
well known to Asia-Pacific region
countries. These will acquire more
submarines and spend more on
them over the next two decades than any
other region in the world except the United
States, according to AMI International
analysts. American, European, Russian and
more recently Asian shipbuilders are also
looking into new littoral warfare and special
ops’ support boat designs to cope with
customer requirements.
Submarine designers, builders and system
providers all are developing new platforms
or adapting current production vehicles and
systems to meet the new requirements.
The Scorpene is one of the latest
families of advanced submarines
on the market. Being sold to the
Chilean, Malaysian, Brazilian
and Indian navies, it is being
marketed as a scalable platform
with conventional or AIP
propulsion system. (DCNS)
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I PLATFORM OVERVIEW
The demanding Australian programme, for
instance, that aims at putting 12 newgeneration submarines into service from
2025 on, with the capability to conduct long
endurance missions at considerable
distances from home, equipped with both
long-range strike weapon systems to
support special forces and unmanned
vehicles, is pushing French DCNS to offer a
scaled-up version of the Scorpene equipped
with the Mesma air independent propulsion
system already in service with Pakistan’s
Agosta 90B (also sold to India, Malaysia,
Chile and Brazil). The later variant
in production features an increased
displacement compared to previous models,
but maintains a conventional diesel-electric
propulsion system.
ThyssenKrupp
Marine
Systems’
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW)
company, on the other hand, is proposing the
new Type 216 design with an 89-metre
platform, a submerged displacement of 4,000
tonnes and a propulsion system employing a
methanol reformer air independent fuel cell
system allowing a submerged endurance of
up to four weeks. The new design will also
have a vertical multipurpose lock aft of the
sail for cruise missiles, divers or robots in
addition to a new sonar suite.
Navantia proposes a scaled-up version of
its S-80 air-independent propulsion SSK
under construction for Spanish Navy, with
enhancements for the specific programme.
The Australian DoD is also looking at
the newest Sōryū class SSK in service
with the Japan Maritime Self Defence
Force (JMSDF).
In Europe, these companies together
with Fincantieri and South Korean Daewoo
Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
(DSME) recently responded to a request for
information of the Norwegian Ministry of
Defence for a possible replacement of Ulaclass submarines (instead of opting for a
further life extension operation).
Russian submarine designers and
shipyards are continuing to market their
latest versions of the Project 636 Kilo class
boats, the new Project 677 Lada or Amur
1650 for export, with both types introducing
enhancements in platform, command,
control, sonar and fire control suites and
weapon suites including Klub-S family
missiles. According to Russian newspapers,
China is also to build Lada/Amur 1650
platforms maintaining a double source
of submarines, in case the indigenous
industry cannot satisfy developments and
procurement requirements.
I CURRENT TRENDS
Current market trends, however are now
pushing submarine designers towards
littoral and special operation support boats.
Various offers are surfacing, including the
roughly 900-tonne and 50-metre Andrasta
from DCNS, the 1,150-tonne and 58-metre
Type 210 from HDW, the 1,100-tonne and
56-metre S1000 from Fincantieri & Rubin –
all featuring advanced solutions and able to
conduct full-size conventional submarine
missions. The same companies and Daewoo
Shipbuilding and Maritime Engineering
(DSME) are also working on platforms
concepts for special operations, as
The new Project 677 Lada or Amur 1650 for
export family of submarines developed by
Rubin design bureau features latest national
industries’ platform, command, sonar and fire
control suite systems, in addition to the Klub-S
missile family. (Armada/Luca Peruzzi)
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Submarine Technology
exemplified by the DCNS SMX-26 showed at
Euronaval 2012, the HDW Type 200 and the
South Korean KSS 500A. The US Special
Operations Command allowed foreign
companies to participate and recently
awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a
contract to design and build a prototype
‘dry’ submersible for evaluation by the US
naval forces community, with the
participation of Italy’s GSE company,
builder of commercial diver lock-out
submersibles.
HDW in Germany has pioneered the
development of air-independent systems
based on fuel-cell technology, as used by
German and Italian Type 212As, South
Korean and Portuguese Type 214s and
lately by the Israeli navy’s Dolphin. In late
2012, Sener engineering group and HDW
signed an agreement for the industrial
production of an air-independent
propulsion system based on a fuel cell
methanol reformer technology. The latter
provides an alternative for producing the
hydrogen required by a fuel-cell system,
which is more suitable for larger platforms
with long endurance. A fully engineered
submarine system demonstrator is to be
ready for end-2013.
In service with both the German and Italian
navies, the Type 212A AIP-equipped platform
is being produced in additional batches for
both services. Here depicted is the latest
version for the German navy, with a new flank
array sonar system and an integrated combat
system, both provided by Atlas Elektronik.
(Luca Peruzzi)
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Already in service with Pakistan navy’s Agosta 90B class boats (the first AIP-equipped
platform in the Indian Ocean), the Mesma system is also being promoted for the Scorpene
here illustrated. DCNS has teamed with Thales Underwater Systems and Sagem on the
integrated combat system, sonar suite, mast and sensors. (DCNS)
Applied to all Swedish navy’s recent
submarines, Stirling air-independent
propulsion systems also power Singapore
navy’s Archer class boats, as well as the
future Kockums A26 designed mainly for
littoral operations with ocean-going
capabilities. Built under licence by Japanese
Kawasaki Heavy Industry, it is also
embarked on the Sōryū class SSK, the
newest boat in service with Japan Maritime
Self Defence Force. The Australian DoD
through its SEA 1000 programme has also
showed interest for this method.
Pakistan’s Agosta 90B became the first
air-independent propulsion submarine to
operate in the Indian Ocean, soon to be
joined by other boats in 2013 – courtesy of
the DCNS-supplied Mesma (Module
d’Energie Sous-Marine Autonome). It
consists of a combustion module fed with
liquid oxygen and fuel, and a steam
production loop. The Mesma endows a
Scorpene SSK with a submerged endurance
of more than 21 days. DCNS is proposing
the system for current and future P-75I-class
programmes and for Australia’s SEA 1000
future submarine programme.
Navantia, for its part, has developed the S80’s air-independent propulsion , which is
based on a bioethanol-processor, fed with
bioethanol as fuel, and liquid oxygen,
generating high-purity hydrogen. The
output feeds a series of fuel cells provided by
UTC Power in America.
Developing an indigenous submarine
technology, India’s Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) is
working on air-independent propulsion
technology at the Naval Material Research
Laboratory (NMRL), which is expected to
be available in 2015, and which can be
applied to the new-generation P-75I.
China, however, is reported to have a
system of its own, which powers the newest
Type 041 Yuan and Type 043 Qing SSK class.
Developed by 711th Research Institute of
China Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, the
exact type hasn’t been identified but,
according to some sources, it is a Stirling
cycle engine.
Russia was an early proponent of airindependent propulsion design, but in the
last decade Western European nations took
the lead. In late 2011, however, the Rubin
design bureau unveiled an electrochemical
generator plant based on the earlier Kristall27E solution, which employs fuel cells and
the reforming of diesel fuel for hydrogen
production by means of an electromechanical generator. Reported to be
available for production in less than three
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Submarine Technology
years’ time, it is being offered to India via the
Amur 1650 project.
I COMBAT SYSTEMS
The covertness offered by underwater
platforms and the new generation of sensors
and weapon systems provide the
conventional submariners with detection
in the range required for wide-area tactical
picture compilation and long-range
engagements, but also place additional
demands on the warfare team in the
submarine control room.
The latest generation of submarine combat
systems offer far greater functional integration
of sensors, tactical data handling and weapon
systems. The latest trend is wholesale
migration toward scalable commercial offthe-shelf based open-system architectures, a
shift seen to offer multiple advantages. Their
In addition to all Swedish navy’s submarine
classes, Stirling AIP system equips the
Singapore navy’s Archer and Japan Maritime
Self-Defence Force’s Soryu class SSKs. The
Royal Australian Navy also showed interest in
the system. China is reported to have
developed and put in service a similar AIP for
Type 041 Yuan and follow-on SSKs. (Kockums)
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design and development costs can be
significantly reduced by avoiding the use of
proprietary products and eliminating vendor
restrictions at all system levels. Moreover, the
regular upgrading of computer systems
enables rapid additional operational capability
to be inserted to meet emerging threats, while
potential shared computing environments
allow for reduced hardware footprint and
support rationalisation.
One of the largest providers of SSK
combat systems is Atlas Elektronik, with
variants of its Isus (Integrated submarine
combat system) integrated command,
weapon control and sonar system, which
forms the core for widely sold HDW Type
209 and Type 214 export types. The Isus
roadmap showed an increasing reliance on
cots technology and the migration toward
open-standard architecture, hardware and
system application software, including
emphasis on new sonar functionality and
sonar manager functions.
Although the Subtics (Submarine
Tactical Integrated Combat System) was
closely connected to French-built
conventional submarines export sales
(Pakistan’s Agosta 90B and Scorpene boats to
Brazil, Chile, India and Malaysia), DCNS
was able to expand its customer range to
South America and southeast Asia for
German- and Swedish-built submarines.
The Subtics results from DCNS and
Thales shared experience with French navy
submarine sonar, command and weapon
control systems (including the Sycobs
system), adopting open standards, a fully
redundant design and Thales Underwater
Systems TSM 2233 sonar suite.
Up north, Kongsberg Defence Systems of
Norway has sold its MSI-90U Mk2 combat
and weapon system to the navies of Norway
(Ula class), Germany and Italy (Type 212)
and more recently Indonesia (Type 209
built by South Korea’s DSME) and South
Korean navy’s Type 214 and derivatives. The
Italian navy’s latest Type 212 boats will
feature the Link 11/16 functionality,
navigation package and Wass Black Shark
heavyweight torpedo integration.
Saab is involved in the continuing
upgrading of Swedish navy’s SesuB
command and fire-control suite on its
Type A-17 and -19 submarines, while the
latest SesuB version employing cots-based
open architecture will equip the new
Type A-26. The Netherlands navy’s
four Walrus-class submarines are being
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upgraded with Ministry of Defenceprovided Guardion common core system
also used by surface vessels.
Lockheed Martin’s MS2 and Navantia’s
combat systems house Faba are partners in
the development of the fully integrated Core
Combat System for the Spanish navy’s four
new S-80A class submarine under
construction. Based on Lockheed Martin
Subics (submarine integrated combat system)
open architecture model, it integrates Spanish
hardware and software provided by Spanish
companies, including Sainsel and Saes. The
American company is also responsible for the
Brazilian Type 209 upgrade.
Working in conjunction with America
and Australia, Raytheon supplied the
AN/BYG-1(V)8 combat control system as
part of the Royal Australian Navy Collinsclass replacement combat system
programme. Already installed across the
US Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet and
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The Type 209/214 family of conventional and
AIP equipped submarines built by TKMS’s
HDW is the most widespread around the
world. Many customers are upgrading these
boats. The Brazilian navy’s Tupi class Type
209s for instance are to receive Lockheed
Martin’s integrated combat system and
Raytheon’s Mk48 Mod 6AT torpedo. (US Navy)
being periodically updated, the AN/BYG1 calls on commercial open standards,
allowing the rapid insertion of additional
sensors and/or weapons. It is expected to
become fully operational on all Australian
navy boats by 2016, and is reported to
become the basis of the SEA 1000 future
submarine combat system.
I SONAR
Spiral upgrading and cots insertion are the
main themes in sonar suite development
and enhancements. Thales is promoting its
S-Cube multi-mission sonar suite with an
open system architecture (variant of
TSM2233) using cots hardware and
software and combining Fast adaptive
beam-forming technique, large PVDF
planar flank array and a simple-to-use ‘look
and feel’ human-computer interface.
Scalable for all size of submarine from
coastal to oceanic, the suite has already been
ordered for Brazil’s and India’s Scorpenes as
well as Ecuador’s HDW Type 209/1300s.
Thales Australia has been contracted to
upgrade Australian navy’s Collins class TSM
2233 sonar suite.
L-3 Elac Nautik is involved in providing
subsystems to enhance acoustic packages
already in service, including the
Netherlands’ Walrus-class boats.
The other non-nuclear sonar providers
are Atlas Elektronik and Lockheed Martin.
The German company is proposing the
latest versions of its Isus already ordered for
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Turkey’s six new Type 214 submarines,
which introduces new or improved signal
processing, such as advanced ranging sonar
techniques, smarter adaptive beam-forming
algorithms, optimised contact tracking and
reduced operator workload. The company
is also looking to new sonar functionalities as
well as working on sotram (sonar track
manager) functions to improve tracking
management. Lockheed Martin together
with Saes in Spain are providing most of the
Spanish navy’s S-80 sonar suite.
Non-penetrating masts resulting from
advanced elector-optical sensor techniques
offer a distinct advantage over direct-view
periscopes. Most of the specialists in
periscope and related sensors, such as
Sagem, Carl Zeiss, Thales, Gabler and L-3
Communications/Calzoni, are involved in
activities aimed at providing multispectral
EO/IR, quick identification and recording
capabilities. The latest two companies have
respectively developed the Triple M and the
Universal Modular Mast that are capable of
accommodating a flying drone.
To maintain its stealthiness a submarine
relies on low-probability of intercept search
and navigation radars, such as those
supplied by Thales, Kelvin and Sperry
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Italy’s Wass Black Shark heavyweight torpedo
is in service with the Chilean, Malaysian,
Portuguese and Singapore (allegedly) navies,
and is being integrated on board Italian
navy’s Type 212A AIP-equipped submarines.
Optimized for both deep and very shallow
(coastal) waters, the 50km+ range and 50kn+
Black Shark features advanced acoustic
guidance capabilities. (Armada/Luca Peruzzi)
Marine as well as on both radar and
communications ESM suites.
Thales, Elettronica, Saab, EDO, Medav,
Lockheed Martin and Elbit are all looking
at ways of enhancing the capability of their
electronic warfare system families in view
of the increasingly challenging littoral
warfare environment. In case of detection
and attack by other submarines or surface
vessels, reliance can then be handed over to
Wass C303, Ultra Eletronics Scad 101,
DCNS Nemesis and Contralto and Rafael
Torbuster decoys—to name but a few—to
defeat torpedo attacks.
The new operational scenarios require
joint and combined operation of sea,
land and air forces with communications
capabilities that extend to submerged
patrol stations. Communications specialist
such as Thales, Indra, Selex ES, Lockheed
Martin, Saab, L-3 Communications
Marinekommunikation have developed
complete packages including satcom
capabilities (for instance the Thales Aquilon
with Divesat satcom terminal) and/or
communications buoy systems like the
Callisto from Gabler, the Gateway from a
consortium led by Atlas Elektronik, not to
mention Lockheed Martin and Ultra
Electronics solutions for the US navy’s
Communications at Speed and Depth
(CSD) facility with both tethered and freefloating system.
I HEAVY TORPEDO RESURRECTION
The threat from diesel-electric and later airindependent propulsion submarines in the
demanding littoral warfare arena, enhanced
by increased sonar performance, is casting
fresh light on the need for new generation
heavy-weight torpedoes or upgrade kits for
in-service weapons. Required are speeds of
around 50 knots, ranges superior to 50 km
and sophisticated acoustic guidance. While in
recent years a number of navies have for
upgrading solutions (Raytheon Mk48, Atlas
Elektronik Seahake, BAE Systems Spearfish,
Saab Tp62 and Russian Federation industries’
Tri-Service
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TEST and UGST), some companies have
turned to fresh developments. This is the case
of Italy’s Wass and more recently French
DCNS and South Korean LIG Nex1 who
have completed or entered the development
of new underwater weapons.
In April 2008, the French DGA contracted
DCNS as prime contractor and Thales
Underwater Systems as acoustic guidance
provider, to develop and produce the F21
for the new French Navy’s Barracuda
nuclear SSN.
The F21 will feature an electrical
propulsion system based on the DCNSsupplied MU-90 lightweight torpedo
Aluminium-Silver-Oxide
technology
battery, providing 50+km range and 50+
knots speed, according to DCNS. Equipped
with a planar array and fully digital acoustic
To enhance training and personnel
proficiency while reducing costs, Wass is
introducing rechargeable lithium-polymer
and cots-based propulsion batteries derived
from the automotive sector on the Black Shark
heavy weight torpedo, allowing multiple
exercise launches. (Armada/Luca Peruzzi)
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head, the F21 is also to comply with
demanding nuclear-powered platform
safety requirements, including insensitive
warhead and safe detonation technology.
Italy’s Wass is producing the Black Shark,
which is already in service with Chilean,
Malaysian, Portuguese and (allegedly)
Singaporean navies. It also is being
integrated on board Italian navy’s Type
212A Todaro class AIP submarines, and
marketed in India. To enhance training and
personnel proficiency while reducing costs,
Wass is introducing a rechargeable lithiumpolymer type propulsion battery derived
from automotive sector. This innovative
solution will allow multiple exercise
launches before depot maintenance is
required. Optimized for deep and very
shallow (coastal) water deployment, the
Black Shark features a 50+ knot speed and
50km+ range, while the advanced acoustic
offers
long-range
detection
and
simultaneous multi-target capabilities.
I COUNTERING BOLT FROM THE BLUE
In response to customer concerns as to the
increased anti-submarine threat posed by
maritime patrol aircraft and helicopter,
DCNS recently unveiled plans for a
compact, canister-based submarine airdefence weapon system based on the
MBDA Mistral short-range infrared
homing missile, which is to be fired from
periscope depth in lock-on before launch
mode with data provided by the
submarine’s optronic mast.
A German consortium, including HDW,
Diehl BGT Defence and Kongsberg,
developed and successfully tested the Idas
(Interactive Defence For Air-attacked
Submarine) submarine weapon system.
Under advanced development, the Idas is an
optical fibre-guided missile system which is
canister-launched from torpedo tubes and
designed to engage not only airborne ASW
threats such as helicopters, but also surface
ships and coastal targets. Raytheon has
however successfully tested a canisterlaunched version of the AIM-9X shortrange IIR guided missile on a ground testrange in 2009, but American and other
navies prefer to embark ASW or strike
weapons, maintaining submarine stealth
and low-acoustic signature.
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The US Defense Advanced Research
Project Agency recently selected Saic to
lead the design and construction of the
operational prototype of the Anti-Submarine
Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (Actuv)
illustraded here. The aim is to demonstrate,
with tests at sea as of 2015, an autonomous
vessel that can track a quiet SSK for
up to 80 days. (Darpa)
I UNDERWATER ROBOTICS
In addition to special forces operators and
vehicles, submarines have been modified to
act as mothership for so-called unmanned
underwater vehicles (UUV). Although both
US and European industries and operators
have been playing with numerous solutions,
technology maturation has only recently
allowed the US navy to launch an LDUUV
(Large Displacement UUV) programme.
The resultant vehicle is planned to have long
endurance (up to 30-45 days), and sufficient
operational speed, autonomy and payload
capacity to perform “independent” and
clandestine operations in forward areas.
Designed for launch and recovery from a
variety of platforms including SSGN,
Virginia SSN via their large-diameter tubes,
but also surface ships, the system, for which
a request for proposal is expected to be
In response to customer concerns about ASW
threat posed by MPAs and helicopters, DCNS
unveiled a compact, canister-based
submarine air defence weapon system at
Euronaval 2012, involving MBDA’s Mistral
short-range infrared homing missile fired
from periscope depth. (DCNS)
issued in 2014, is planned for operational
service around the end of the decade.
But the real revolution in underwater
operations will come from the American
Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency in the form of an uninhabited vessel
that can shadow a manned sub throughout
its patrol. The agency has recently selected
Saic to lead the design and construction of
an operational prototype of an antisubmarine continuous trail unmanned
vessel known as the Actuv. The aim is to
demonstrate an autonomous vessel that can
track a quiet diesel-electric submarine for
up to 80 days and over a distance of
6,200km, avoiding other shipping and with
minimal human input. At-sea testing is
planned for 2015.
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