The Sub-Carrier: Merge Together An Aircraft Carrier and Submarine - The National Interest Online

Summary and Key Points: The concept of a "sub-carrier," a submarine capable of launching combat drones from a flat-top flight deck, is becoming increasingly plausible. The U.S. Navy has already tested drone launches from submarines, including the Sea Robin and Blackwing.

Aircraft Carrier

-This innovative approach could enhance stealth and survivability in hostile environments.

-Additionally, Israel's successful test of the Ninox 103 submarine-launched reconnaissance drone demonstrates the potential of this technology.

-Sub-carriers could assist in torpedo targeting and provide vital support for Navy SEAL operations, showcasing numerous advantages for future naval warfare.

How Sub-Carriers Could Transform Military Strategy

Aircraft carriers are flat-top floating airports and submarines lurk beneath the surface and launch torpedoes, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. It's been that way for decades. But did you know it is plausible that a submarine could have a flat-top and send combat drones into the air? The "sub-carrier" would launch its aircraft and then head for the depths.

Quite a departure for undersea warfare, to be sure. But this idea could have legs someday as the Navy examines different ideas for unmanned aviation on the high seas.

It's Closer to Reality Than You Think

Unknown to many, the U.S. Navy has already tested flying a small recon drone called the Sea Robin, which took off from a submarine's torpedo tube in 2013.

In 2016, the Navy announced it was working to send "stealthy spy drones" called Blackwings into the air from tubes on the sub. So, submarine-launched drones are more than just a fanciful concept.

What About the Flat-top Submarine Carrier?

Like traditional carriers, the sub-carrier would have an elevator and flight deck for unmanned combat vehicles. The sub-carrier would also have ballast tanks to raise or lower the vessel. Here it gets imaginative as some envision the flight deck to be populated by robots that perform the tasks associated with getting the drone into the air.

This would reduce the number of sailors on the submarine and could make the sub-carrier smaller than other boats in the U.S. fleet.

Allows the Submarine to Penetrate Contested Seas

Defense expert Robert Farley was interviewed by Popular Mechanics' Kyle Mizokami in 2019. Farley believes the sub-carrier concept has some merit and is worth exploring further. "A submarine platform for launching drones would stand a better chance of surviving in hostile, anti-access environments," Farley said.

Aircraft Carrier

"While an aircraft carrier can take advantage of its speed and mobility to avoid missile attacks, it can't match the stealth of even a large submarine."

More Sub-carrier Drone Launches

A sub-carrier doesn't have to feature a flight deck. This year Israel tested a submarine-launched reconnaissance drone that can propel through the water while the boat is submerged. So there is still interest in sub-carriers after the Sea Robin and Blackwing UAVs were evaluated years ago.

Called the Ninox 103, the Israeli drone shows promise to prove out the sub-carrier idea. The submarine does not have to bring its mast above the water. The Ninox 103 is undetectable as it is launched from 150 feet underneath the sea to burst into the sky. It is based on UAV artificial intelligence that makes it autonomous and able to communicate with troops on land.

Why Not Guide Torpedoes With Drones?

The other big idea with sub-carriers is using drones to help torpedoes find their target. These types of unmanned craft launch out of the sub's tube that usually deploys sound decoys. These drones are small enough to burst out of the three-inch tube.

They can fly with day or night video cameras to relay targeting data on enemy ships back to the sub-carrier. This model is called Advanced Weapons Enhanced by Submarine UAS against Mobile targets – AWESUM for short.

Make the SEALs Happy

With all the different models of drones launched from carriers, it appears that the sub-carrier concept will come to fruition soon. The flat-top sub-carrier is probably optimistic and not likely to see any progress beyond an artist's rendering. But drones and submarines have their biggest advantages in torpedo targeting and communicating with troops. A spotter drone could clear the way and be the eyes and ears for Navy SEALs who are inserted by submarine into combat zones.

Aircraft Carrier

The sub-launched drones have numerous advantages, and it will be interesting to see how the Navy will use them in the future.

About the Author

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer.

Image Credit: Creative Commons. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu...
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year...
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re...
Read more