Submarine Warfare

No Picture

Submarine Operations in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea: A Historical Backgrounder

INTRODUCTION Since the 90’s, two of the six claimant countries in the disputed Spratly Group of Islands possessed submarines in their respective fleets. After the year 2000, this would change with the arrival of the French-built Scorpene and the Russian Kilo Class Submarines in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Vietnam  Peoples Navy (VPN) in 2014. Things are about…


Book Review: INNOVATING VICTORY: Naval Technology in Three Wars

INTRODUCTION The word technology is a compound of two Greek roots, tekhne for craft, and logia for learning. Technology then is the practical application of knowledge expressed through the use of a crafted device. This book focuses on 6 technologies in 3 broad categories: Weapon, Tool, and Platform. A weapon is to damage a target; a tool is to assist…


Southeast Asia’s First Submarine Forces: The Royal Thai Navy and The Indonesian Navy Submarine Force

The two oldest undersea forces established on 04-September-1937 and 12-September-1959 have the distinction of having the first Submarine Forces in the Southeast Asian region. These are the Royal Thai Navy and the Indonesian Navy Force. The Royal Thai Navy acquired its first Submarines through bidding which was won by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan for a price 75,000 Pounds for…


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

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…


TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY

Over the past few decades many nations in Southeast Asia, including the ASEAN, have increased their defense budgets to procure and upgrade weapons systems. Some accounts indicate that the increase in the regional defense spending is two to three times the world average. Interestingly most of the weapons acquisitions are for their air and naval forces that are incredibly more…



Deliberate Acquisition of Submarine Warfare Capability of a Navy

INTRODUCTION This article emphasizes the dangers of operating a submarine short of maturity in a NAVY. They face threats and dangers of deep water that needs to be understood by a NAVY aspiring to fulfill the dreams of acquiring a submarine warfare capability for the defense of their country in territorial seas. This article is not to discouraged the NAVY,…


BROWN EAGLE UNDERWATER: The Philippines’ Quest For Submarines

I am sharing an article I had written six years ago, now with revisions as further information came to light in supporting the Philippine Navy’s acquisition of Submarines through a historical perspective. INTRODUCTION.  On 22-September-1914, in the cold choppy waters of the North Sea, a few miles from the coast of the Netherlands in less than 90 minutes, HMS Aboukir,…


Environmental Factors Enhance Diesel Electric Submarine Dominance in the Littoral Zone Battlespace

INTRODUCTION This article attempts to describe the difference between the two (2) submarine battlespaces in the littoral zone and open ocean for diesel electric submarines and nuclear attack submarines, and the inherent environmental factors in an arena of underwater warfare for type submarine that can be exploited to one’s own advantage by cognizant naval commanders. This research work by the…