Hunt for Red October

[d000hg]

BBC News - New submarine in a class of its own

It is the stealthiest sub ever built in the UK, able to sit in waters off the coast undetected, listening to mobile phone conversations or delivering the UK's special forces where needed.

The 39,000 or so acoustic panels which cover its surface mask its sonar signature, meaning it can sneak up on enemy warships and submarines alike, or simply lurk unseen and unheard at depth

Very cool, however I wouldn't want to be on a closed system with this on board:

Box after box of chocolates, rice, and the ingredients for curries and other meals are being hauled on board by crane for the crew of 98, to keep them going through their long days and nights at sea.

[Troll]

But technological and programme difficulties left the project running more than four years late and more than £1bn over the original budget

...figures- anyone want to explain why we couldn't just buy off the shelf from the yanks?

Ditto aircraft carriers

[doodab]

...figures- anyone want to explain why we couldn't just buy off the shelf from the yanks?

Ditto aircraft carriers

The contract has, however, ensured that the know-how for building such a complex attack submarine was not lost to UK industry, as it might well have been without that investment.

Pretty much everything that is wrong with the UK can be traced back to the "cheap at all costs" mentality, IMO. There is a trickle down effect from doing cool stuff well.

Edit: Apparently the American Virginia class cost about $2bn each, which is about the same as he £3.9bn for 3 we are paying for these.

[xoggoth]

When it comes to manufacturing I tend to agree. Whether buying from abroad, outsourcing or excessive reliance on foreign contractors here, the result is loss of our own capacity and skills base and a saving becomes a reduction in the whole industry.

[thunderlizard]

tactics not seen for 25 years

So, either they've just got better at it, or they've just got worse at it.

[HairyArsedBloke]

CUK has been having to cope with it's own 'Crazy Ivan' for years.

[OwlHoot]

CUK has been having to cope with it's own 'Crazy Ivan' for years.

Hehe - good one.

Anyway, there's very little point making subs stealthy these days when satellites can spot a moving one just by the tiny vertical displacement it causes on the ocean surface.

[AtW]

...figures- anyone want to explain why we couldn't just buy off the shelf from the yanks?

They won't sell.

[d000hg]

Hehe - good one.

Anyway, there's very little point making subs stealthy these days when satellites can spot a moving one just by the tiny vertical displacement it causes on the ocean surface.

I think that's only if they're close to the surface. If they go deep you could sit on top and not know it was there.

[Moscow Mule]

If you know what to listen for*, you can find any sub.

It's the first part of the equation that's hard to achieve.




* source - DERA c1994.