xav
10-03-2008, 07:38 PM
I took the time to translate this myself, so hopefully it is more readable than a straight google translation...
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/11086.jpg
Japanese AEGIS Destroyer
A brand new 10,000 tonnes Destroyer helplessly faced to an unknown submarine... This happened mid-September in Japanese territorial waters. Only 1000 meters away, officers of the destroyer Atago had the bad surprise to see a Sub's periscope. If the Atago was able to confirm the presence of an unknown sub with a "ping" from its hull sonar, the weakness of its ASW detection suite has prevented it from tracking the intruder, who was lost 90 minutes after first contact. AAW destroyer equipped with US Aegis system and an arsenal of some 104 missiles, Atago does not have any towed sonar antenna or passive ways that could enable it to track the submarine. The maritime patrol aircraft P 3-C Orion came too late on the scene and despite 50 hours of research, did not get more results.
In peacetime, this weakness has left a wound in the pride for Japanese. But in wartime, a Vessel of this category, no matter how powerful, could be sunk before you even realize the presence of a submarine. This experience emphasize that any deployment of these destroyers in a crisis area without anti-submarine warfare escort ships would be a huge risk.
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/8164.jpg
Torpedo hitting a Frigate
The submarine threat has never been more important
In the case of Japan, this problem is not serious, since the country has a considerable fleet (47 destroyers and 8 frigates, including 34 with towed antennas). However, globally, there is a clear tendency to overlook the sea submarine threat to focus their equipment on Anti Air Warfare. These choices seem even more dubious that many countries facing significant budgetary constraints, reduce the size of their navies. This means that ships will move most of the time alone and unprotected (wihtout appropriate ASW solution), and they would act as dream targets for submariners. The example of the consequences that may pose the submarine weapon remains the one of the Falklands war in 1982. The mere sinking of the cruiser Belgrano by the British submarine HMS Conqueror has nailed the ports throughout the Argentine fleet. Therefore a Navy with no or limited modern ASW means is very vulnerable in the open ocean.
Twenty-six years later, has the situation changed? Obviously not, indeed quite the contrary. While what is happening above the sea is more visible, the threat from the deep has never been more important. Never so many submarines have been sold and, it must be remembered, a simple torpedo is all it takes to blow a 4000 or 5000 tons vessel. No anti ship missile is capable of this, yet... It may be noted that the proliferation of submarines in the oceans comes with the sale on the international arms market of increasingly dangerous dangerous. Example: Russian's rising wake torpedoes. (this one is hard to translate...)
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/12092.jpg
FREMM European Multi Mission Frigate
The emergence of truly multipurpose ships
In this context and to meet the budget requirements of their customers, manufacturers are relying increasingly on multi-mission platforms. Installing a few basic systems, such as a sonar hull, tube-launched torpedoes and possibly a helicopter is not enough anymore. The real deal is to design platforms to respond effectively to any threat, whatever the theater. France and Italy have led the way with the Frigate European Multi-Mission (FREMM), which comes in several variants for the job you want. For now, the example of the versatility of the most successful family is probably the model being sold to Greece: 142 meters for a displacement of 6000 tons, this vessel offers a range of weapons and equipment without equivalent to one unit of this size. The frigate is designed to board 16 surface-to-air missile Aster 30 (70 km range) and 24 surface-to-air short-range VL Mica (20 kilometers). With the Herakles multifunction radar and strong electronic warfare, it is capable of self defense and offers an anti air "umbrella" for ships in its battle group. Add 8 Exocet anti ship missiles, and in the field of ground attack, 16 Scalp Naval Missile (1000 km range) and a 127 mm gun can draw against land targets. Despite these impressive capabilities, the FREMM proposed to the Greek navy is not helpless against submarines, far from it. It has a hull sonar, a towed sonar active at very low frequency (CAPT UMS 4229), light MU90 torpedoes and a helicopter. It is also possible to install on this platform anti-torpedo decoy launchers.
In short, means to keep your head high if a submarine were to stick his periscope out a few meters away ...
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/12409.jpg
FREMM European Multi Mission Frigate
The article hits the nail on the head...
1 Torpedoes causes more damage than 1 missile, yet everybody focus on AAW...
With all these minisubs pop up everywhere (for drug shipping only for now, but for how long?) and nations like Nk, Iran, China, Venezuela relying heavily on these small subs and probably getting access to AIP technology, some navies are really lacking in anti sub warfare.
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/11086.jpg
Japanese AEGIS Destroyer
A brand new 10,000 tonnes Destroyer helplessly faced to an unknown submarine... This happened mid-September in Japanese territorial waters. Only 1000 meters away, officers of the destroyer Atago had the bad surprise to see a Sub's periscope. If the Atago was able to confirm the presence of an unknown sub with a "ping" from its hull sonar, the weakness of its ASW detection suite has prevented it from tracking the intruder, who was lost 90 minutes after first contact. AAW destroyer equipped with US Aegis system and an arsenal of some 104 missiles, Atago does not have any towed sonar antenna or passive ways that could enable it to track the submarine. The maritime patrol aircraft P 3-C Orion came too late on the scene and despite 50 hours of research, did not get more results.
In peacetime, this weakness has left a wound in the pride for Japanese. But in wartime, a Vessel of this category, no matter how powerful, could be sunk before you even realize the presence of a submarine. This experience emphasize that any deployment of these destroyers in a crisis area without anti-submarine warfare escort ships would be a huge risk.
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/8164.jpg
Torpedo hitting a Frigate
The submarine threat has never been more important
In the case of Japan, this problem is not serious, since the country has a considerable fleet (47 destroyers and 8 frigates, including 34 with towed antennas). However, globally, there is a clear tendency to overlook the sea submarine threat to focus their equipment on Anti Air Warfare. These choices seem even more dubious that many countries facing significant budgetary constraints, reduce the size of their navies. This means that ships will move most of the time alone and unprotected (wihtout appropriate ASW solution), and they would act as dream targets for submariners. The example of the consequences that may pose the submarine weapon remains the one of the Falklands war in 1982. The mere sinking of the cruiser Belgrano by the British submarine HMS Conqueror has nailed the ports throughout the Argentine fleet. Therefore a Navy with no or limited modern ASW means is very vulnerable in the open ocean.
Twenty-six years later, has the situation changed? Obviously not, indeed quite the contrary. While what is happening above the sea is more visible, the threat from the deep has never been more important. Never so many submarines have been sold and, it must be remembered, a simple torpedo is all it takes to blow a 4000 or 5000 tons vessel. No anti ship missile is capable of this, yet... It may be noted that the proliferation of submarines in the oceans comes with the sale on the international arms market of increasingly dangerous dangerous. Example: Russian's rising wake torpedoes. (this one is hard to translate...)
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/12092.jpg
FREMM European Multi Mission Frigate
The emergence of truly multipurpose ships
In this context and to meet the budget requirements of their customers, manufacturers are relying increasingly on multi-mission platforms. Installing a few basic systems, such as a sonar hull, tube-launched torpedoes and possibly a helicopter is not enough anymore. The real deal is to design platforms to respond effectively to any threat, whatever the theater. France and Italy have led the way with the Frigate European Multi-Mission (FREMM), which comes in several variants for the job you want. For now, the example of the versatility of the most successful family is probably the model being sold to Greece: 142 meters for a displacement of 6000 tons, this vessel offers a range of weapons and equipment without equivalent to one unit of this size. The frigate is designed to board 16 surface-to-air missile Aster 30 (70 km range) and 24 surface-to-air short-range VL Mica (20 kilometers). With the Herakles multifunction radar and strong electronic warfare, it is capable of self defense and offers an anti air "umbrella" for ships in its battle group. Add 8 Exocet anti ship missiles, and in the field of ground attack, 16 Scalp Naval Missile (1000 km range) and a 127 mm gun can draw against land targets. Despite these impressive capabilities, the FREMM proposed to the Greek navy is not helpless against submarines, far from it. It has a hull sonar, a towed sonar active at very low frequency (CAPT UMS 4229), light MU90 torpedoes and a helicopter. It is also possible to install on this platform anti-torpedo decoy launchers.
In short, means to keep your head high if a submarine were to stick his periscope out a few meters away ...
http://www.meretmarine.com/objets/500/12409.jpg
FREMM European Multi Mission Frigate
The article hits the nail on the head...
1 Torpedoes causes more damage than 1 missile, yet everybody focus on AAW...
With all these minisubs pop up everywhere (for drug shipping only for now, but for how long?) and nations like Nk, Iran, China, Venezuela relying heavily on these small subs and probably getting access to AIP technology, some navies are really lacking in anti sub warfare.