Opinion: A New Era in Anti-Submarine Warfare

China and Russia’s submarine forces are flexing their prowess in the undersea domain by operating further from their respective country’s homeport – in some cases within striking distance of the United States.

 

Given the expansion in operations, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platforms on both coasts of the United States will be required to monitor and defend the nation more frequently.

 

Foreign submarine operations near the homeland are not necessarily immediate threats, but do require careful thought as the Navy prepares to execute future ASW missions. As budget and naval policymakers continue to plan for the future, ASW must remain a high priority for either homeland or overseas defense. The good news is that the U.S. Navy has new platforms and technology coming online that can provide a significant advantage in the undersea domain.

 

CHINA

An undated photo of a Jin-class Type 94 nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). PLAN Photo

Adm. Sam Locklear, Commander, Pacific Command, earlier this year stated, “China’s advance in submarine capabilities is significant. They possess a large and increasingly capable submarine force.” China has expanded their undersea reach as evident in this year’s deployment of a Chinese nuclear submarine to the Indian Ocean. The deployment demonstrates extended submarine operations and the capability for China to deploy nuclear submarines within ballistic missile launch range of the United States, within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), or potentially closer to territorial waters. As China continues sustained undersea operations, proficiency will likely improve with time as well.

The expansion of China’s nuclear submarine fleet will also allow operations further from the Asia Pacific region in the coming years. China is in the process of building four new improved variants of the Shang class nuclear submarine and working on a robust diesel submarine fleet. Given China’s submarine capability to transit and operate in the Indian Ocean and with continued submarine growth, a future nuclear submarine deployment off the West Coast of the United States may occur in the next five years or possibly sooner.

 

The purpose of future submarine deployments may serve as a deterrence, presence or collection mission against the United States – creating an increased requirement for naval assets to monitor and ensure security for the nation. This development should not come as a surprise to those in the national security community. Senior policymakers and naval leaders should develop an operational and strategic plan in how to deal with Chinese submarine operations closer to the United States.

 

RUSSIA

Russian Borey-class (Project 955) ballistic nuclear missile submarine Yuri Dolgoruky during sea trials. RIA Novosti Photo

 

As China increases their submarine role in maritime operations, Russia is simultaneously increasing their Navy’s importance. “The navy, for our country, is her pride, strength and dignity,” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last month said. “The power and strength of the Russian navy will only grow.”

The Russian submarine force is also set to grow.

 

In the next two years, Russia will begin construction on nine submarines. Russia has already commissioned two Borei class nuclear submarines and plans to build six more. This new submarine is a notable threat carrying sixteen SS-NX-32 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and six SS-N-15 cruise missiles. In addition, the Russian navy plans to add seven Severodvinsk class nuclear attack submarines by 2020 with intentions for reaching a total of sixteen.

 

With Russia’s construction of new submarines and leadership touting naval strength, more submarine operations near the United States are possible. Since the end of the Cold War, Russia for the most part has been non-existent in operating nuclear submarines near the United States, but that may change. In 2012, a Sierra class nuclear submarine operated off the east coast of the U.S. – a trend that could continue in the future. In addition, Russia recently increased rhetoric against possible U.S. submarine operations. Russia publicly stated an IL-38 ASW aircraft chased away a U.S. nuclear submarine that was operating in the Barents Sea – a claim U.S. naval leaders quickly rebuked.

AMERICAN ASW

P-8A Poseidon, operated by Patrol Squadron (VP-16) in February, 2013. US Navy Photo

A future increase in submarine construction and operations by both countries are not the only development of concern in the undersea domain. Internationally, the development and use of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for military, education, and commercial use are expanding. In the military realm, developed countries are exploring UUV deployment from submarines that will create a new dynamic in the undersea domain. As autonomous technology becomes more mature, UUVs will also operate independently in areas of potential crisis or strategic importance. With a future increase in UUV operations, the ability to track UUVs in the undersea will be equally difficult and require improved sensor and processing capability.

 

To meet expanded foreign submarine operations and UUV technological advancements, the U.S. surface naval force employs state of the art ASW technology aboard numerous Arleigh Burke class destroyers. The SQQ-89A(V)15 Combat System, which will be aboard 64 destroyers by 2020, and the new Multi-Functional Towed Array (MFTA) are game changers in ASW operations. The combined capabilities alter how the surface navy searches and tracks submarines. With enhanced sensor capability and data processing, the surface naval forces have an increased role in integrated ASW operations. ASW surface ships can remain longer on station in comparison to aircraft and also provide real time command and control capability beyond that of a submarine.

 

In stride with the surface navy’s technological advancements, the aviation community has new platforms to meet the ASW mission. The MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and the P-8A Poseidon aircraft are to be fully integrated in the fleet by 2020. The new platforms are already providing an improved ASW capability in fleet operations. The MH-60R has been forward deployed in Japan and operating in the Asia Pacific region since 2012.

 

Additionally, the rotary aircraft has an enhanced active dipping sonar advertised to increase detection ranges from three to seven times compared to legacy systems.

 

Earlier this month six P-8A aircraft completed an inaugural and successful deployment to the Asia Pacific. The P-8A adds an improved sensor search capability by utilizing a multi-static active coherent (MAC) system, which is comprised of sonobuoys (source and receiver) and advanced processing. In addition to the new platforms and technological advancements, all ASW ships and aircraft in the future will employ the Mk 54 lightweight torpedo, which integrates several years of weapons technology. By 2020, these new improvements collectively in the surface and aviation communities will create a powerful ASW capability. However, the Navy must further improve requisite training to meet the new capabilities, and foster a fleetwide culture that prioritizes the ASW mission.

 

The CNO’s Sailing Directions offers, “The Navy will continue to dominate the undersea domain using a network of sensors and platforms.” The navy is building a fleet (sensors and platforms) with enormous ASW capability that will create an integrated ASW machine. Additionally, the CNO has articulated that warfighting is the Navy’s primary mission and people are the Navy’s foundation. To ensure the U.S. Navy succeeds in ASW, a focus on warfighting and people must occur in tandem.

TRAINING

Lt. Richard Ray discusses the bi-lateral U.S. and Republic of Korea Navy’s Surface Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Effectiveness Measure (SHAREM) exercise with Lt. Hyeoung Seok Noh, Republic of Korea Navy, in the combat information center aboard USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) on June 3, 2014. US Navy Photo

ASW is a complicated warfare area, and proficiency can only develop through extensive textbook and practical training, at both the officer and enlisted levels. In his book, Destroyer Captain, Adm. Jim Stavridis (retired) described that “submarines are like steel sharks – quiet, silent, and deadly. They are designed to hunt and kill. Occasionally, it becomes necessary to find and destroy them – to keep open sea-lanes of communication, to sweep an area and make it safe for Allied shipping.

 

Destroying a submarine is the hardest task in naval warfare.” Learning ASW takes time, training, and experience to fully understand how to plan and execute ASW operations. Of all the topics associated with ASW, oceanography (undersea environment) is the most difficult to grasp and essential in dominating the undersea domain.

 

When comparing the undersea with other warfare area such as anti-air warfare, the science and understanding of the ASW operating environment is a more complex tactical problem. Given the complexity of ASW, training personnel in mastering oceanography and anti-submarine operations must remain a high priority. For the last twenty years or more, ASW has not been a significant operational requirement as a result of the Cold War ending and a decade of fighting in the war on terrorism. A culture change from a primarily air warfare centric navy to an emphasis more in ASW must occur to improve proficiency among naval personnel at all ranks. This culture change must occur from the top down led by the Navy’s senior officers afloat and ashore.

 

Today and in the future, ASW will be required to deter and deny future foreign submarine operations against U.S. national interests at home and abroad. Combatant and Fleet Commanders must carefully balance the allocation of naval forces in both these areas to sustain undersea dominance. The navy’s new platforms and technologies in the surface and aviation communities increase the ability to detect, localize, and track submarines. These new platforms and technologies have established a new era of ASW operations from the days of the Cold War. As the U.S. Navy moves forward, officers and enlisted personnel must have the necessary training to operate the improved platforms and sensors given the potential rise in foreign submarine operations as well as unknown UUV technological advancements.

India to Unveil First Warship to Deter Chinese Submarines

India will unveil its first home-built anti-submarine warship tomorrow in a move to deter China from conducting underwater patrols near its shores.

 

Defense Minister Arun Jaitley will commission the 3,300-ton INS Kamorta at the southeastern Vishakapatnam port. The move comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the largest indigenously built guided-missile destroyer and vowed to bolster the country’s defenses so “no one dares to cast an evil glance at India.”

 

India is playing catch-up to China, which built 20 such warships in the past two years and sent a nuclear submarine to the Indian Ocean in December for a two-month anti-piracy patrol. The waters are home to shipping lanes carrying about 80 percent of the world’s seaborne oil, mostly headed to China and Japan.

 

“As China grows into a naval, maritime power, it will be more and more active in the Indian Ocean,” Taylor Fravel, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies China’s ties with its neighbors, said by phone. “Of course, it will not be due to some hostility or targeted at India, but because of its economic interests in the Indian Ocean, as a lot of trade passes through. Such a presence will certainly raise questions in India, but it need not necessarily be a cause of major conflict.”

 

 

Warship Plans

 

India has lacked anti-submarine corvettes in its 135-warship fleet for more than a decade now, with the decommissioning of the last of the 10-ship Petya-class of 1960s-vintage Soviet corvettes in December 2003. It plans to build 42 more warships, including three more anti-submarine corvettes, over the next decade, according to Rear Admiral A.B. Singh, an Indian navy official.

 

About 90 percent of Kamorta’s components are local, with the hull developed by Steel Authority of India Ltd., medium-range guns by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. and torpedo launchers by Larsen & Toubro Ltd, India’s largest engineering company. The ship is two years behind schedule, according to Commodore B.B. Nagpal, the navy’s principal director for naval design.

 

“It’s a beef up of the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities against Chinese submarines,” Rear Admiral Raja Menon, a retired Indian official, said by phone, referring to the Kamorta, which is named after an Indian island that was a convict settlement in the 1800s.

 

Even so, he said, “Indian warship building is not comparable to an aggressively modernizing Chinese navy. There is no way we can match China’s efforts.”

 

China Surge

 

China has built 20 Jiangdao-class anti-submarine corvettes since February 2013, when it unveiled the first one. At least 10 more will join the Chinese naval service in the coming months, according to data from IHS Jane’s.

 

China’s Jiangdao-class anti-submarine ships are about half the size of the Kamorta and designed to operate in shallow water, said Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, a retired Indian navy officer. The Indian ship can store helicopters on board and possesses surface warfare and air defense capabilities, he said.

Jaitley, who’s also India’s finance minister, eased rules for foreign investment in the nation’s defense sector and raised spending 12 percent in the current fiscal year to help modernize the armed forces.

 

China spent $188 billion on defense in 2013, about four times more than India, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

 

Energy Needs

 

China has at least 52 submarines in its fleet, including three nuclear-missile vessels and three operating on nuclear power, the U.S. Congressional Research Service said in July, citing Jane’s Fighting Ships 2013-2014 and previous editions. India has a fleet of 14 diesel-electric submarines and a Russian-origin nuclear-powered submarine, according to the Indian Navy.

 

Chinese warships voyaged to the Gulf of Aden for the first time to join anti-piracy patrols in December 2008, two months after India deployed its warships in that role, and have since maintained a presence there. About half of China’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz and three-quarters of Japan’s, according to data from the Observer Research Foundation.

 

China’s growth means its future energy needs can be met only by supplies from the Gulf region, Africa and North America, according to a 2010 study from the U.S. Defense Department. Such supply points will keep China reliant on maritime transport even as it seeks to develop pipelines to avoid sensitive sea routes such as the Strait of Malacca, it said.

 

US should fear littoral capability of PLA subs: retired officer

The United States should fear a potential submarine war with China, Wang Hongguang, retired deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Region, wrote in a commentary for the state-run Global Times on Aug. 11.
 

While admitting that the nuclear-powered attack submarines and ballistic missile submarines of the United States Navy have a longer range and faster speed than their Chinese counterparts, Wang said the PLA's submarines are better suited to fighting in littoral waters. He said US submarines have several major weaknesses that Chinese subs do not have. First, they are simply too large to conduct operations within the narrow First Island Chain of the Pacific, he said.

 

 

Compared to American submarines with displacement between 8,000 and 10,000 tons, Wang said it is much easier for 2,000-ton conventional PLA submarines to hide and evade the enemy. Wang said further that Chinese submarines employ the world's best air-independent propulsion system and can stay submerged for between 15 and 20 days. This is enough for them to travel 3,000 kilometers without being detected, he said.
 

Noting that a Chinese Type 039 Song-class submarine surfaced quietly nine miles away from the USS Kitty Hawk carrier in 2007, Wang said it is possible for the PLA Navy to do this again even in the central Pacific. If older boats like the Song-class submarine could do it, Wang said more advanced sumbarines such as the Type 094 Jin-class ballistic missile submarine can do it as well.

Bangladesh, Pakistan set to get Chinese submarines

China has also signed an agreement with Pakistan to sell two Type 035G Ming-class diesel-electric submarines to Bangladesh China will provide submarines to Bangladesh and Pakistan, Times of India reported on Saturday. India's submarine crisis comes just around the time China has begun arming two other neighbors, Bangladesh and Pakistan, with submarines. China has also introduced new nuclear submarines that have caused a flutter in Washington, the report said. Jane's weekly quoting a senior Pakistani official says China is set to sell up to six submarines to Pakistan by end of 2014.

 

China has also signed an agreement with Pakistan to sell two Type 035G Ming-class diesel-electric submarines to Bangladesh, reports from Dhaka said recently. The New Age newspaper said the deal was valued $206 million. China has promised to deliver the submarines to Bangladesh Navy by 2019.

 

 "Technical details are almost done. The present discussions are mainly about the financing details," a senior Pakistan official told Jane's. The journal said a second Pakistani government official confirmed that "the contract is at an advanced stage and discussions won't linger on for too long. Realistically, we should have a deal by end 2014." Islamabad is expected to buy China's S20 or Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK). At present, the Pakistani Navy operates five French submarines; three Agosta 90B (Khalid-class) submarines purchased in the 1990s and two ageing Agosta 70 (Hashmat-class) boats dating from the late 1970s. Pakistan's ambitious defence planners are also pushing China for selling submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles. But western diplomats say China may be reluctant to hand over such sophisticated equipment fearing harsh reactions from Washington.

 

Another of India's neighbours, Myanmar is using Chinese experts to train its submarine personnel. It also sent a contingent of navy personnel for submarine warfare training in Pakistan in mid-2013.

 

Myanmar has announced plans to build its own fleet of submarines, and is expected to look towards Russia for supplies.

China's Unmanned Submersible Mission Hailed as Successful

China's maritime authority has hailed the mission of an unmanned underwater vehicle as a success after it completed a fortnight voyage that included deep-water and night dives in the Pacific Ocean.

The State Oceanic Administration said on Wednesday that Qianlong-1, or underwater dragon-1, completed seven diving missions from Oct. 6 to 12, with a record depth of 5,162 meters.

Xu Huixi, leader of the Qianlong-1 project, said the vehicle had made several technological breakthroughs during the mission and it functioned normally.

Xu said the success of the mission showed the benefits of the vehicle in carrying out offshore seabed tasks.

Qianlong-1 is on a trial run and marks the first time a Chinese autonomous underwater vehicle has been used for a scientific expedition.

The vehicle, which is a robot that can travel to a depth of 6,000 meters, is tasked to explore the seabed and collect hydrological data.

It is about 4.6 meters long, 1,500 kg in weight and 0.8 meters in diameter. The vehicle, on board of the Chinese research vessel Haiyang-6, left Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sept. 28 for the eastern Pacific Ocean, with the first dive on Oct. 6.

During its fortnight voyage, the submersible successfully operated for a combined period of about 29 hours and collected data covering an area about 33 square kilometers. It completed two night dives respectively on Oct. 8 and 9.

International waters free for Chinese submarines

Chinese submarines are free to navigate international waters, including the Northwest Pacific, which is also visited by other nations' maritime forces, the spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

Spokesman Geng Yansheng made the remarks at a regular ministry briefing.

He also criticized the so-called "China Military Threat," as described by some Japanese media, as an act of "intentionally creating tension with an ulterior political motive."

"Such act is irresponsible and not conducive to peace and stability in the region," Geng said.

His remarks were made in response to a reporter's question regarding some Japanese media outlets' recent, frequent reporting on the voyages of China's Yuan-type submarines in Japan's contiguous zones.

Foreign sub spotted near Japan's territorial waters

A foreign submarine was detected on May 12 plying the depths in a contiguous zone outside Japan's territorial waters south of Kumejima island in Okinawa Prefecture, the Defense Ministry said May 13.

Although officials did not elaborate on the sub's country of origin, a government source said the vessel likely belonged to the Chinese Navy.

"I was prepared to order 'maritime security operations' immediately upon getting approval from the prime minister (Shinzo Abe), if the submarine entered (Japan's) territorial waters," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters May 13.

Under the Self-Defense Forces Law, the defense minister has the authority to order, subject to the prime minister's approval, SDF units to conduct "necessary operations" to protect lives and property at risk and to maintain security at sea.

Such circumstances, called "maritime security operations," allow the SDF to use weapons in lawful self-defense and emergency evacuation.

The last time maritime security operations were ordered against a submarine was in November 2004, when a submerged Chinese sub entered Japan's territorial waters around the Sakishima island chain in Okinawa Prefecture. Although the latest case did not involve a submarine incursion into territorial seas, Onodera is believed to have mentioned the measures to warn any countries involved.

International law does not prohibit submarines from entering a contiguous zone. But the ministry officials said they decided to make the latest incident public because they concluded it was an unusual case, which involved passage through the contiguous zone over a prolonged period.

China yet to deploy 094 sub, JL-2 & DF-41 missiles: security head

China's Type 094 Jin-Class submarine and the JL-2 ballistic missile to be installed on the nuclear-powered warship are still in development or undergoing tests, Taiwan's security and intelligence chief said Monday.

"Neither of them has been deployed at any Chinese military base yet," Tsai Teh-sheng, director-general of the National Security Bureau (NSB), said at a hearing of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Fielding questions from ruling Kuomintang Legislator Lin Yu-fang about the latest developments in China's military buildup, Tsai said China has also not yet deployed the new-generation Dongfeng (DF)-41 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"All three of these new types of weapons are still being developed in China," Tsai said.

Given China's fast progress in military technology development, however, the possibility of China succeeding in producing and deploying the DF-41 mobile multi-warhead ICBM in the future is very high, Tsai said.

Based on past experience, Tsai said, China tends to experience difficulties in each stage of development when working on cutting-edge weapons or military equipment.

"Even though China's ability to resolve those problems or difficulties is now stronger than before, it does not necessarily mean that its indigenously developed weapons can initially live up to their designed functions," Tsai said.

He added that it would take time for China's new weapon systems to reach their performance targets.

Though talk turned to China's weapons capabilities, the committee hearing was mainly focused on the impact the volatile situation on the Korean Peninsula could have on Taiwan's economy and security.

Besides Tsai, Foreign Minister David Lin, Deputy Defense Minister Andrew Yang and several other defense officials were also present at the hearing.

Responding to Lin's question on whether the United States has asked Taiwan to adjust its military deployment amid Pyongyang's recent saber-rattling, Yang said the U.S. had not made such a request.

But he added that the two countries have exchanged intelligence on developments in North Korea.

Tsai pointed to the importance of that cooperation, saying that because North Korea is a closed and authoritarian country, no country can fully understand the situation there on its own.

"Regional cooperation is therefore very important. We have shared our intelligence with other countries and have also taken the initiative to ask for updated intelligence gathered by other countries," Tsai told lawmakers.

Tsai said that to his knowledge, the U.S., Japan and South Korea are all willing to give North Korea a way out following its recent bellicosity.

"They have had a hard time, however, finding a channel for dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," Tsai said.

North Korea's unpredictability is closely related to its enigmatic leader, he said.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been simmering in recent weeks, with Pyongyang threatening to fire mid- and long-range missiles at Japan, South Korea and the U.S., but not yet acting on its threats.

Tsai said nobody knows at the moment whether North Korea will launch a missile or missiles or undertake a nuclear test in the coming days.

According to intelligence sources, Taiwan's national security authorities set up a special task force after the Yeonpyeong Island incident in November 2010. The task force remains in operation to date, the sources said.

In that incident, North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island in the Yellow Sea, killing two people, setting homes ablaze and triggering an exchange of fire as the South Korean military went on top alert.

China Mulls Buying Russian Submarines

State arms exporter Rosoboronexport has signed a framework agreement with China on the joint development and construction of four non-nuclear Amur-1650 conventional submarines for the Chinese Navy, a news report said Thursday.

The final contract is tentatively worth $2 billion and is expected to be signed by the parties no earlier than 2015, Kommersant reported.

The agreement stipulates for two of the submarines to be built in Russia and two in China, with special provisions in place in the contract to ensure that no intellectual property is copied from the Russian side, a source close to Rosoboronexport told the business daily.

An additional agreement for the first stage of work could be signed by the end of the year, he said, adding that a Russian contractor had not yet been selected for construction of the submarines.

China may become the first buyer of the Amur-1650 submarines, beating out India and Venezuela, both of which previously expressed interest, Kommersant said.

Another source close to the arms exporter said the submarine contract "is very important for Russia and tops the presidential list of projects with China."

The Song Does Not Remain The Same

Chinese Navy commanders appear to be satisfied with the performance of their rapidly evolving "Song" (Type 39) class diesel-electric submarines. The changes have been so great that the latest four Songs have been called Yuan class (Type 39A or Type 41).

The original design (Type 39) first appeared in 2001, and 13 have been built. But in 2008, a noticeably different Type 39 appeared. This has been called Type 39A or Type 41. Two of these Type 39As appeared before two of another variant, sometimes called Type 39B, showed up. The evolution continues and there are now six or seven "Type 41 Yuan Class" subs (of at least three distinct models). These latest models appear to have AIP (air independent propulsion system) along with new electronics and other internal improvements.

This rapid evolution of the Type 39 appears to be another example of China adapting Russian submarine technology to Chinese design ideas and new technology. China has been doing this for as long as it has been building subs (since the 1960s). But this latest version of what appears to be the Type 41 design shows Chinese naval engineers getting more creative. Two or more Yuans are believed to have an AIP that would allow them to cruise underwater longer. Western AIP systems allow subs to stay under water for two weeks or more. But the Chinese AIP has less power and reliability and does not appear to be nearly as capable as Russian or Western models. But the Chinese will keep improving on their AIP, just as they have done with so much other military technology.

The Songs look a lot like the Russian Kilo class and that was apparently no accident. The 39s and 41s are both 1,800 ton boats with crews of 60 sailors and six torpedo tubes. This is very similar to the Kilos (which are a bit larger).

China began ordering Russian Kilo class subs, then one of the latest diesel-electric designs available, in the late 1990s. Russia was selling new Kilos for about $200 million each, which was about half the price Western nations sold similar boats for. The Kilos weigh 2,300 tons (surface displacement), have six torpedo tubes, and a crew of 57. They are quiet and can travel about 700 kilometers under water at a speed of about five kilometers an hour. Kilos carry 18 torpedoes or SS-N-27 anti-ship missiles (with a range of 300 kilometers and launched underwater from the torpedo tubes). The combination of quietness and cruise missiles makes Kilo very dangerous to American carriers. North Korea and Iran have also bought Kilos.

The first two Type 41s appeared to be a copy of the early model Kilo (the model 877), while the second pair of Type 41s appeared to copy the late Kilos (model 636). The latest Yuans still appear like Kilos but may be part of an evolution into a sub that is similar to the Russian successor to the Kilo, the Lada.

The first Lada underwent three years of sea trials before they were declared fit for service three years ago. Since then more problems have developed and for a while the Lada was considered cancelled. That has changed and construction of two more is supposed to resume this year. The Chinese better be careful what they steal from Lada. China appears unconcerned with the Lada woes and seems content to perfect their version of the Kilo and put dozens of them into the water. If they can do that, it will be quite an accomplishment.

The Kilo class boats entered service in the early 1980s. Russia only bought 24 of them but exported over 30. It was considered a successful design. But just before the Cold War ended in 1991, the Soviet Navy began work on the Lada. This project was stalled during most of the 1990s, by a lack of money but was revived in the last decade.

The Ladas have six 533mm torpedo tubes, with 18 torpedoes and/or missiles carried. The Lada has a surface displacement of 1,750 tons, are 71 meters (220 feet) long, and carry a crew of 38. Each crewmember has their own cabin (very small for the junior crew but still, a big morale boost). When submerged the submarine can cruise at a top speed of about 39 kilometers an hour (half that on the surface) and can dive to about 250 meters (800 feet). The Lada can stay at sea for as long as 50 days, and the sub can travel as much as 10,000 kilometers using its diesel engine (underwater, via the snorkel). Submerged, using battery power, the Lada can travel about 450 kilometers. There is also an electronic periscope (which goes to the surface via a cable), that includes a night vision capability and a laser range finder. The Lada was designed to accept an AIP (air independent propulsion) system. Russia was long a pioneer in AIP design but in the last decade, Western European nations have taken the lead. Construction on the first Lada began in 1997, but money shortages delayed work for years. The first Lada boat was finally completed in 2005. A less complex version, called the Amur, is being offered for export, but so far there have been no sales.

The Ladas are designed to be fast attack and scouting boats. They are intended for anti-surface and anti-submarine operations as well as naval reconnaissance. These boats are said to be eight times quieter than the Kilos. This was accomplished by using anechoic (sound absorbing) tile coatings on the exterior and a very quiet (skewed) propeller. All interior machinery was designed with silence in mind. The sensors include active and passive sonars, including towed passive sonar. This quietness is what the Chinese are looking for because diesel-electric boats are the quietest available (all things being equal), even quieter than AIP. If nothing else, Lada provides a possible further development path for the Chinese Song/Yuan boats.

The Type 39s were the first Chinese subs to have the teardrop shaped hull. The Type 41 was thought to be just an improved Song but on closer examination, especially by the Russians, it looked like a clone of the Kilos. The Russians now believe that the entire Song/Yuan project is part of a long-range plan to successfully copy the Kilo. If that is the case, it appears to be succeeding.

China currently has 13 Song class, 12 Kilo class, seven Yuan class and 25 Ming (improved Russian Romeo) class boats. There are only three Han class SSNs, as the Chinese are still having a lot of problems with nuclear power in subs. Despite that, the Hans are going to sea, even though they are noisy and easily detected by Western sensors. Five Hans were built (between 1974 and 1991) but two have already been retired. The Song/Yuan class subs are meant to replace the elderly Mings.