Friday, April 21, 2006

Revolutionizing Undersea Warfare


This is the future of the submarine, say analysts:

To counter China's rapidly strengthening submarine fleet, the United States should spur a revolution in undersea warfare by focusing greater attention and resources on developing advanced unmanned underwater vehicles, a top naval analyst said Tuesday.
Such a move could make China's submarine investments "worthless" and secure the Navy's place as the world's premier maritime fleet, said Robert Work, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Struggling domestic shipbuilders, who are urging Congress to increase submarine purchases to two a year by 2009, are capable of changing "the rules of the game" in naval warfare, Work said.


Two subs a year at 2-3 billion each isn't going to work. But how about a uuv at $100,000 a copy, maybe with supercavitating technology?