How A Navy Should Decide to Buy Their First Diesel Electric Submarine With Air Independent Power (AIP)

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Posted By: Tomas Baino 31-May-2022

INTRODUCTION

This article is a research paper titled “How A Navy Should Decide To Acquire to Buy the First Diesel Electric Submarine” with confidence. If and when the government so decides to acquire the first diesel electric submarine with Air Independent Power (AIP), a NAVY should be prepared and capable to support such a decision. Some of the information are hereunder explained in brief.

PEACETIME STATISTICS OF SUBMARINE LOSSES AND ACCIDENTS FROM 2000 TO 2021

From 2000 to 2021, the recorded submarine accidents registered 34 incidents in USA, UK, Russia, India, Australia, China, Argentina, Canada and lately, Indonesia.

Accidents listed are by category of accident from gas leak, malfunction of mechanical system, collision, grounding, and fire while submarine is under repair and maintenance, torpedo firing exercise, bursting of pipes in operating at maximum depth, flooding inside compartment, collision due to ineffective periscope, internal explosion, loss of control in the deep, etc. Worth noting is that submarine accidents incurred in a Navy of mostly rich and powerful countries that are long time operators of submarines have suffered repeated accidents in spite of their almost perfect submarine maintenance and training facilities.

THREAT IDENTIFICATION

There are factors that can be considered as threats to the survivability of a submarine:

  • Enemy Hostile Action – attack from the air surface and subsurface, modern sensors that detect and locate a noisy submarine underwater capable of detection and tracking and neutralizing in the deep by a homing anti-submarine torpedo. Although a submarine is the most feared adversary at sea in the areas of conflict of Naval Commanders, her effectiveness may be denied when detected. Instead of being the Hunter, she becomes the Hunted.
  • Expected Perils of the Deep – submarine accidents increase during peacetime situations aside from wartime losses. The hydrostatic pressure environment is a dangerous one. Even a small fire or gas leak inside the submarine can have catastrophic consequence. A collision with another vessel or groundings can occur any moment underwater. A Submarine relies only on echo or acoustic propagation underwater.
  • Submarine Crew – The constant threats to the survivability of a submarine are the perils of the deep and lack of skills proficiency/lack of maturity of the officers and crew. There are many requisites of safe submarine operation. Submariners are among the most highly trained of all naval professionals. Therefore, they have advanced skills and are proficient in submarine total operational and maintenance systems, particularly in maintaining a submarine within “zero tolerance” of even a minor defect that can jeopardize submarine safety especially when deep beneath the ocean surface. The most difficult part to control in a submarine is her own noise that makes her vulnerable under water and becomes ineffective and useless as her weapons system becomes prone to deliberate attacks by Anti-Submarine Surface Ships and Aircraft (ASW), as well as another hostile submarine.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON SUBMARINE AREA OF OPERATIONS

A factor that relates to the submarine is the knowledge of the underwater terrain, which depends on good hydrographic and oceanographic data especially in littoral waters. In large areas of the sea, some regions are poorly and inaccurately chartered. Some unchartered sea bottom could endanger a submarine. The avoidance of an accident mainly depends on the skills of the submariner and keen knowledge of the underwater terrain.

Technical knowledge on the prevailing sea environment, such as the changing water temperature, causes a slight change in sea water density. Hydrostatic pressure is the most constant danger of the submarine. The deeper the dive of the submarine, the greater the hydrostatic pressure is exerted over the hull of the submarine.

Submarine operation underwater solely relies on SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging) using sound projection and picks-up the returning echo. The sound propagation is affected by seawater salinity, temperature and density, and tends to bounce in a curve path underwater especially in littoral waters with heavy maritime traffic.

KNOWLEDGE ON TOTAL SUBMARINE SYSTEM AND SUB-SYSTEMS

Knowledge on the submarine system and sub-system is a must for the officers and men of the submarines. These include the following aspects in Submarine Operations to match the knowledge in some of the enumerated factors:

  • Archimedes Principles, positive, negative and neutral buoyancy, diving depth limitation, collapse depth of the hull, pressure hull volume, submerged and surface displacement, pressure hull volume, structural strength to withstand hydrostatic pressure, speed and power, indiscretion ratio, effect of speed in indiscretion ratio, submerged and snort speed, etc.
  • Propulsion system, air independent power (AIP), fuel cell, battery compartment, types of batteries volume and weight, battery and fuel cell operating time, propeller cavitation, etc.
  • Ballast tank operation and sequence of events of submarine at the surface of the sea reserve of buoyance, submarine diving, submarine preparing to surface, diving time, expert knowledge in submarine trim and compensation polygon, etc.
  • Life support system inside the submarine under prolonged duration in the deep, atmospheric characteristics desired inside the submarine, materials balanced by human body, atmospheric control system, human life inside the submarine, diving safety envelope, etc.
  • Submarine system and sub-system interrelated function, CO2 circuit, propulsion power system, high and low air system, hydraulic system, electrical system, steering system;
  • Submarine areas of operation, wave environment, 12 motion in waves, prevailing sea condition, maritime traffic.

EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STABILITY OF THE SUBMARINER

The ability of the crew to cope with prolonged stress situations depends among others on their aptitude to endure with the demands of an extreme environment like confined spaces inside the submarine in the deep while being confronted by hostile adversaries. Regardless of the crowdedness and lack of privacy in a small congested space, those spaces are intended to be used for generating system and voyage routine activities.

SPECIALIZED SUBMARINE MEDICINES AND DISEASES

Common diseases acquired in a submarine in the deep within confined spaces are in the ears, eyes, throat, lungs, nervous systems, blood circulation system, multiple asphyxiation, pneumonia, copper sulfate poisoning, unknown fever, heat exhaustion, paralysis, eye complaints, bends, nitrogen narcosis, paralysis, epilepsy, psycho-neurosis, heart disease, and many more.

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE FACILITIES

A submarine is a system, composed of interrelated intricate systems that need periodic check-ups and maintenance to ensure reliability in a planned maintenance scheme. Repair is conducted in anticipation of failure before it occurs. This results into a catastrophic result if not anticipated before it occurs in the deep ocean. Examples are: water-high hull envelope, ballast tank, trim and compensation tank mechanism, stabilizer, propulsion system, SONAR, torpedo tubes, sensors, periscope, minimize or elimination of excessive acoustic noise, silencing of the magnetic properties, propeller cavitation, friction resistance need to be maintained to minimum, electrical system, batteries, fuel cell (MESMA), life support systems, etc. It needs a covered shed, a sycholift for periodic hull cleaning maintenance and propeller, shore power system, torpedo storage, handling system from the ship to submarine and vice versa. The naval shipyards, local shipyards, and defense industry must be developed in parallel to the NAVY Acquisition of submarines.

SUBMARINE TENDER AND RESCUE VEHICLE

A Navy should prepare a rapid rescue vehicle to provide assistance for submarines in distress at the bottom of the ocean because staying time inside the submarine is limited as she will run out of power and much needed oxygen in case unexpected accidents might occur.

SUBMARINE ESCAPE HATCH TRAINING FACILITIES

Said facility is needed to provide contingency to rescue the submariners from the deep complementary to their knowledge about how to escape from the ill-fated submarine during distress.

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO SUPPORT OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

The government must allocate an enormous amount of funds to support sustainability in the operation and maintenance of the submarine so as to be responsive to her mission in the security operation of the country.

CONCLUSION

A NAVY must be well-prepared to put in place and extensively operationalize the system to deliberately justify its readiness to absorb the technology. A NAVY needs to commit huge capital outlay investments to secure all these requirements before the arrival of the first submarine unit.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A huge capital outlay of funds must be allocated to support build-up of training, maintenance, medical, facilities, availability of emergency funds, and related facilities in order to sustain support of the submarine project even when confronted with a submarine accident. The Defense Department must balance defense expenditures versus what is to be gained. The effectiveness and usefulness of a submarine is paramount for defense, not stocked in the inventory room for preservation. The NAVY should do a lot of pre-planning to determine whether the gains justify the need for a submarine. Above all, it is to avoid an expensive submarine from becoming a white elephant.

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