![]() ![]() Dr Rachel Pawling, who teaches naval architecture at University College London, suggests, “VLS is always going to hang around for those large air flight weapons where you want to launch several in quick order and don't care about reloads.” This would include larger hypersonic weapons such as Boost Glide missiles. Torpedo rooms are more versatile and can be used to launch weapons or drones at higher speeds. This enables the submarine to stay quiet and hidden from adversaries, but it means subs must rely on other devices or multiple passive sonars to triangulate the location of an object in its path.There are mutterings of a move is away from vertical launch systems (VLS). Unlike “active sonar,” which sends out pings and then registers how long their echoes take to return to the vessel, passive sonar detects only sound coming toward it. “It could have been an object small enough to be missed by sonars in a noisy environment,” Patalano said.Īccording to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, naval vessels use what is called “passive sonar” to detect objects in the water around them. While the Navy hasn’t revealed what the Connecticut struck, analysts say conditions in the South China Sea can be a challenge for the sub’s sophisticated sensors. How did it get into trouble in the South China Sea? “These subs have some of the most advanced – in fact the most advanced – underwater capabilities in the business,” said Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy at King’s College in London. The Navy says it is “exceptionally quiet, fast, well-armed, and equipped with advanced sensors.” The 9,300-ton, 353-foot sub, commissioned in 1998, is powered by a single nuclear reactor and crewed by 140 sailors.Īs it is larger than even the newest Virginia-class attack subs, the Connecticut can carry more weaponry than other US attack submarines – including up to 50 torpedoes as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to a US Navy fact sheet.Īnd despite being more than 20 years old, it’s also technologically advanced with updates to its systems performed during its service life. The Connecticut is one of three Seawolf-class submarines in the Navy fleet, with a price tag of about $3 billion each. The service said the injuries were minor and the sub arrived at the US naval base on the island of Guam on Friday under its own power.Ī Navy spokesperson told CNN the front of the submarine was damaged and there would be a “full investigation and a full assessment” of the incident. What are nuclear-powered submarines and how do they work? Navy photo courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries by ChrisOxley/Released Click through the gallery to learn more about the Navy's submarine fleet. The Navy has 12 Virginia-class subs in service. Virginia-class attack subs, displacing 7,800 tons and at 377 feet long, "are designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and Special Operation Forces (SOF) carry out Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions support battle group operations and engage in mine warfare, according to the Navy. The John Warner was commissioned on Saturday, August 1, in a ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia. ![]() A dolphins swims in front of Navy's newest submarine, the attack submarine USS John Warner, during its sea trials in May.
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