There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

They dove beneath the waves, and helped to win massive global wars. But submarines can’t submerge forever. Eventually, these old warhorses get swept away by history. Here are some images of the most haunting dead submarines of all time.

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, May 17 1993

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

One submarine tender and 16 nuclear submarines are awaiting scrapping.

The remains of two XT-Craft midget submarines, Aberlady Bay, Scotland, UK

The XT-Craft submarines are the training versions of the X-Craft that attacked the Battleship Tirpitz in September 1943. Two of these vessels were transported to Aberlady Bay and used for target practice and gun tests by Royal Air Force aircraft.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

Near the Russian naval base of Olenya Bay, Kola Peninsula, Russia

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

Near the town of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Russia

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

The Sub Marine Explorer

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

This submersible was built between 1863 and 1866 by Julius H. Kroehl and Ariel Patterson in Brooklyn, NY for the Pacific Pearl Company. Overfishing of the pearl beds and problems with decompression sickness led to the abandonment of the ship in Panama in 1869.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

It was rediscovered in 2001 by archeologist James P. Delgado. It was well-known to locals, but they believed it was from World War II.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

U-475 Black Widow (Foxtrot B-39)

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

This giant (301 ft or 92 m) Soviet Navy submarine was built in 1967 in Leningrad and decommissioned in 1994. It was used to train Libyan, Cuban and Indian submariners.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

It passed into private hands and used as a museum ship near the Thames Barrier in the UK and later in Folkestone. It was closed in 2004, and since then it’s been waiting for restoration.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

The Quester I, Jerry Bianco’s homemade submarine

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

In 1967 shipyard worker Jerry Bianco decided to build a 45-foot (13.7 m) submarine from salvaged metal to raise the wreck of the passenger ship SS Andrea Doria, the Titanic of the 1950s.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

The vessel was launched via a crane in 1970, but it became stuck in the muddy banks. Now it’s on New York’s Coney Island Creek.

A Japanese Type A Midget Submarine, Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

When the Japanese withdrew from Kiska in July 1943, each mini sub was scuttled by the detonation of an internal explosive charge that blew the hull onward.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

An abandoned submarine in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Soviet Naval Base Kraternyy, Broutana Bay, Simushir, Kuril Islands, Russia

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

The bay was used by the Soviet Navy as a secret submarine base between 1978 and 1994.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

A Soviet Submarine Base, Balaklava, Ukraine

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

During the Cold War, Soviet submarines were transported to this base by rail and then deployed into the Black Sea. Now it’s a museum.

There's nothing sadder than the wreck of a once-great submarine

Source - io9

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Submarines

Our submarines are free to navigate international waters: China

BEIJING: Amid the long-simmering territorial row between China and Japan, Chinese military has asserted that its submarines are free to navigate international waters.

Chinese submarines are free to navigate international waters, including the Northwest Pacific, which is also visited by other nations’ maritime forces, spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defence, Geng Yansheng, said yesterday.

Geng also criticised the so-called “China Military Threat”, as described by some Japanese media, as an act of “intentionally creating tension with an ulterior political motive,” state-runXinhua news agency reported today.

“Such act is irresponsible and not conducive to peace and stability in the region,” he said.

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

Japan’s coastguard recently said that the Chinese maritime surveillance vessels were spotted inside the 12-nautical-mile zone off the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea.

The move marked the latest in the decades long standoff between Beijing and Tokyo as they jostle over ownership of the resource-rich islands.

Last September, Japan nationalised three islands in the chain, angering China.

Source – Economic Times

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: China, Japan, Submarine

A new Russian nuclear submarine, the Yuri Dolgoruky, drives in the water area of the Sevmash factory in the northern city of Arkhangelsk on July 2, 2009.

Russian President Vladimir Putin watches a military exercises in the Barents Sea aboard of “Pyotr Veliky” heavy nuclear missile cruiser, 17 August 2005.

MOSCOW — Russia plans to resume nuclear submarine patrols in the southern seas after a hiatus of more than 20 years following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Saturday, in another example of efforts to revive Moscow’s military.
The plan to send Borei-class submarines, designed to carry 16 long-range nuclear missiles, to the southern hemisphere follows President Vladimir Putin’s decision in March to deploy a naval unit in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis starting this year.
“The revival of nuclear submarine patrols will allow us to fulfill the tasks of strategic deterrence not only across the North Pole but also the South Pole,” state-run Itar-Tass cited an unnamed official in the military General Staff as saying.
The official said the patrols would be phased in over several years. The Yuri Dolgoruky, the first of eight Borei-class submarines that Russia hopes to launch by 2020, entered service this year.

Putin has stressed the importance of a strong and agile military since returning to the presidency last May. In 13 years in power, he has often cited external threats when talking of the need for a reliable armed forces and Russian political unity.
Fears of a nuclear confrontation between Russia and the United States has eased in recent years, and the Cold War-era foes signed a landmark treaty in 2010 setting lower limits on the size of their long-range nuclear arsenals.
But the limited numbers of warheads and delivery vehicles such as submarines that they committed to under the New START treaty are still enough to devastate the world. Putin has made clear Russia will continue to upgrade its arsenal.
Russia’s land-launched Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) would fly over the northern part of the globe, as would those fired from submarines in the northern hemisphere.
Both the Borei-class submarines and the Bulava ballistic missiles they carry were designed in the 1990s, when the science and defense industries were severely underfunded.
Russia sees the Bulava as the backbone of its future nuclear deterrence, but the program has been set back by several botched launches over the past few years.

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Borei Class, Russia, Submarine, Vladimir Putin, Yuri Dolgoruky

Groton — The first of the Spanish Navy’s four new submarines is too heavy and Electric Boat has been asked to help.

The U.S. Navy hired Electric Boat as the contractor for a foreign military sales agreement with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, in support of the Spanish Navy, according to a statement the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command issued Monday.

The agreement is worth up to $14 million, an official at the Embassy of Spain who is familiar with the contract said. EB will provide technical assistance and review the S-80 Submarine project for almost three years, the official added.

The S-80 Submarine is Spain’s first submarine design. According to Spanish press reports, the S-81 Isaac Peral, the first member of the class, is at least 75 tons overweight. The diesel-electric submarine weighs 2,400 tons submerged and the excess weight could prevent it from surfacing after it dives.

Navantia, a Spanish state-owned company, is building the S-80 submarine fleet. Each submarine will have a crew of 32 and eight special forces.

The Isaac Peral was scheduled to be delivered in 2015 at a cost of about $700 million, but it is estimated that correcting the weight and balance issues could take up to two years.

When asked whether EB would help with the weight problem specifically, the Embassy official said, “We hope.” He did not know how many EB employees would be involved.

EB referred questions to the U.S. Navy.

In 2003, the British Ministry of Defence solicited EB’s help for its Astute submarine program through a foreign military sales agreement with the United States.

With a substantial gap between the design and construction of the Vanguard class and the start of the Astute program, submarine design and construction skills had atrophied in the United Kingdom, according to the RAND Corp., and about 100 experienced EB designers and managers worked with BAE Systems on the design effort.

Source – Patch . Com

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Electric Boat, Groton, Isaac Peral, S-80, Spain, Submarine

The US Navy’s plan to increase the size of its fleet is on a collision course with budget austerity. But, fortunately, there’s a nuclear option.

The Navy’s shipbuilding plan is simply “unaffordable,” as Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., pointed out during the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 last week.

Why is the Navy’s plan “unaffordable”? One of the culprits is the Navy’s new nuclear ballistic missile submarines, known as the SSBN[X]. The Navy is planning to procure 12 SSBN[X] at a cost of nearly $6 billion each. These extraordinarily high costs “crowd out spending for other necessary ships,” according to Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., who represents the state where the current Ohio class nuclear missile submarines were manufactured.

Echoing Reed’s concerns, Randy Forbes, R-Va., chairman of the House’s Seapower Subcommittee, said during the markup that buying these 12 SSBN[X] at such a prohibitive price “will serve to significantly reduce [the size of] our naval forces.”

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution, according to Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists – buy fewer SSBNs. Kristensen’s argument for purchasing fewer new nuclear subs is not about costs – though buying fewer ships would, of course, save billions of dollars – it’s about how the Navy actually uses its nuclear submarines.

Since the Cold War ended, the Navy has reduced its number of nuclear sub deterrent patrols – a justifiable reduction given the need to focus on 21st century, not Cold War, threats. In fact, the number of deterrent patrols undertaken now is less than a third of what was done at the end of the Cold War, according to Kristensen’s data.

But, if one logically believes the SSBN fleet is 1/3rd the size of what it was at the end of the Cold War, think again. There are only four fewer nuclear launch subs now than there were in the mid-1990′s (14 vs. 18), as the Navy’s response to Kristensen’s report concedes. Thus, each nuclear sub is now doing much less of what it was first designed to do – patrolling as a nuclear deterrent.

All of this leads Kristensen to conclude that “Fewer SSBNs can do the job …The navy could easily cut the SSBN fleet from 14 to 12 boats now and reduce the requirement for the next-generation SSBN from 12 to 10 boats and save billions of dollars in the process.”

The savings would give the Navy desperately needed flexibility in a shipbuilding budget that the House Seapower Subcommittee calls ”unsustainable.” This would allow the Navy to fully fund other ships better suited to the Asia pivot, such as the Virginia class multi-mission submarines – whose cost is half that of an SSBN[X] – which conducts anti-submarine missions, delivers special operations forces in close-to-shore operations and launches Tomahawk missiles.

As Congressman Ed Markey, D-Mass., said, “It is insane to spend hundreds of billions on new nuclear bombs and delivery systems to fight a long-past Cold War while ignoring our 21st century security needs.” Cutting the size of our nuclear submarine fleet would both save money yet accomplish the Navy’s worldwide mission of nuclear deterrence in an era of military belt-tightening.

Source – USNEWS.COM

Filed under: US Submarines Tagged: Ohio Class, SSBN(X), Submarine

Explorers are launching a new project to locate dozens of British and German submarines which sank off the coast of England during the First World War, as part of a major new study to mark the centenary of the conflict.

Day trippers crowd around the German Submarine U Boat U118, washed up on the beach at Hastings, East Sussex, in 1919.

The English Heritage research will involve identification and analysis of all submarine shipwrecks from the period which are within territorial waters – 12 miles from the coast.

Preliminary research by the team, studying historical records, has already identified three British and 41 German submarines from the conflict which are known to have sunk in the area.

The locations of some of these have already been established, but others have yet to be discovered.

Once they have been found, the team will dive onto them to assess their condition. They will then decide whether any measures can be taken to slow down the shipwrecks’ rate of decay on the seabed.

Depending on their historical significance, the vessels may also be added to existing list of shipwrecks covered by the Protection of Wrecks Act, which tightly controls such sites, or scheduled as an ancient monument.

If the vessels sank with men on board, they could be added to the register covered by the Protection of Military Remains Act, to ensure the war graves cannot be disturbed.

Mark Dunkley, a marine archaeologist with EH, said: “These sites may be out of sight, but they are still an important part of our heritage. There are people still around who will have a link to the men lost on these boats.

“They are an important part of family, as well as military, history.

“People might know more about U-boats in the Second World War, but this project will show just what a significant part they played in the first world war – and very close to land.”

The locations of around half of the 44 vessels are known. To find the others, EH is planning to enlist the help of local diving groups around the coast.

Although most associated with the Second World War, submarine warfare was first deployed during the earlier conflict, as German U-boats attempted to cut supply lines into and around the British Isles, while Royal Navy vessels patrolled in search of enemy ships.

At the start of the war, submarines were supposed to abide by international rules which complied them to then allow the crews of merchant ships to get to safety before sinking their vessels.

But this swiftly became impractical and led to the adoption of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany, which, nearly brought Britain to its knees in 1917.

During the course of the war, German U-boats sank more than 12 million tons of shipping – around 5,000 ships – with the loss of 178 submarines and almost 5,000 men killed.

Most of the wrecks covered by the English Heritage project, which is expected to run throughout the four years of the Great War centenary, are German submarines which were targeting coastal routes, either attacking merchant shipping with torpedoes or laying mines.

They include UB65, which sank HMS Arbutus, a Royal Navy sloop, as well as six merchant ships and damaged six more, before sinking with the loss of all 37 crew near Padstow, Cornwall in July 1918.

The vessel, which went to the bottom after an apparent accident, had been plagued by bad luck and deaths and before its loss the German navy is said to have called a priest on board to perform an exorcism.

They also include UB115, which sank off the coast of Northumberland in 1918 with the loss of all 39 crew, after being attacked by British armed trawlers, warships, and even an airship, R29, which dropped bombs on it.

Several others went down off the east coast, among them UB107, which sank off Flamborough Head in July 1918, either as a result of an attack by British vessels, an accident, or after hitting a mine; UB41, last sighted by the SS Melbourne on October 5 1917 off Scarborough, which is thought to have struck a mine of suffered an internal explosion; and UB75, which had left Borkum on November 29, 1917 for the Whitby area. She succeeded in sinking four ships but never made it back home.

The only three Royal Navy submarines covered by the project were lost in accidents: HMS G3, which ran aground in Filey Bay, North Yorkshire, after the war in 1921; HMS G11, which ran aground near Howick, Northumberland, 1918; and HMS J6, which was sunk in a friendly fire incident, after being mistaken for a U-boat in 1918.

_{A young couple pose for photographs on the wreck of HMS G3 in Filey Bay, North Yorkshire.}

English Heritage has responsibility for all historic wrecks off the English coast, but most of those it cares for are wooden warships.

To find out more about how to preserve the metal vessels from the First World War, it conducted a preparatory survey last year, on the wrecks of two submarines which sank just before the conflict – the Holland No 5, which sank off Beachy Head in 1912 and the A1, which went down in Bracklesham Bay a year earlier.

Both vessels sank without loss of life, although the A1 had previously sunk, in 1904, with the loss of all hands.

Both boats had a hull half an inch thick, but after more than 100 years on the seabed, researchers found these had thinned to as little as a quarter of an inch in places.

The team believe that some wrecks can be preserved by placing on them “sacrificial” anodes, which corrode at a faster rate, protecting the hulls.

Source - The Telegraph

Filed under: The world's submarines, UK Submarines Tagged: First World War, Hastings, HMS Arbutus, HMS G3, Submarine, U-118, UB-115, UB-41, UB-65, UB-75, WW1

Spain’s £1.75billion submarine programme is torpedoed after realising near-complete vessel is 70 tonnes too heavy because engineer put decimal point in the wrong place

Experts fear that the Isaac Peral will not surface again if sent to sea
The mistake will cost £9million over three years to rectify
A US company is to present a range of options to Spanish officials
The project could be set back two years by the error

A £1.75 billion Spanish submarine project has run aground after officials realised that the vessel is more than 70 tonnes too heavy – because an engineer put a decimal point in the wrong place.

A former Spanish official has described the mistake, which has led to fears that the submarine might not resurface if sent to sea, as ‘fatal’.

The Isaac Peral, the first in a new class of diesel electric submarines, was almost complete when the problem was noticed.

Too heavy: The Isaac Peral, a new, Spanish-designed submarine is more than 70 tons too heavy, and officials fear if it goes out to sea, it will not be able to surface. Officials are pictured next to the engine of the vessel last November

Spain will now pay US Navy contractor Electric Boat £9million over three years to assess the issue and carry out the work required to correct it, according to the Spanish Defence Ministry.

Rafael Bardaji, former director of the Office of Strategic Assessment at Spain’s Defense Ministry said that officials will review options suggested by Electric Boat.

But he said the preference has been to extend the length of the submarine’s hull, perhaps by 5 to 6 meters, to increase buoyancy.

Otherwise, the weight of the 2,200 tonne submarine would have to be reduced, and he said the Spanish Navy would not want to compromise features such as the combat system or an air-independent propulsion system.

Experts: Electric Boat, the company who will help the Spanish rectify the problem, helped to build the Astute class attack submarine, pictured, for the British Navy in 2003

Electric Boat, the primary contractor for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines, accepted the contract through a foreign military sales agreement between the American Navy and the Spanish Defense Ministry, the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command announced this week.

THE ISAAC PERAL SUBMARINE

The submarine project has cost the Spanish some £1.75billion so far. But what exactly are they getting for their money with the SSK submarine:

Weight: 2,200 tonnes (surfaced) / 2,426 tonnes submerged)
Length: 71,05 metres
Power: 3 x diesel engines, 1 x electric engine, 1 x AIP reactor
Speed: 12 knots (14mph) surfaced / 19 knots (22mph) submerged
Complement: Space for three officers, four subofficers, 25 sailors and eight special forces soldiers
Armament: 6 x 533mm torpedo launchers, DM2/A4 Torpedos, Mk48 Torpedos, Sub-Harpoon Block II missiles, Tomahawk TacTom Cruise missiles (range about 1,600 km)

Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamic Corp., has helped other countries with their submarine programs.

It began assisting with development of the Astute-class nuclear attack submarine for the British Royal Navy in 2003, and it is working under another foreign military sales agreement on Australia’s Collins class of submarines.

The 233ft long submarine will carry a crew of 32, along with eight special forces troops, and weapons systems for surface and anti-submarine warfare.

The Defense Ministry said technical problems are normal for projects of this scale.

It said in a statement: ‘The technology challenges that these programs face during development are much more than simple calculations.

‘All the major military programs, especially submarines, have experienced delays and often have required the support of a technology partner.’

Mr Bardaji added: ‘Apparently somebody in the calculations made a mistake in the very beginning and nobody paid attention to review the calculations.’

The Isaac Peral, named after a 19th century Spanish submarine designer, is one of four vessels in the class that are in various stages of construction. The country has invested about £1.75 billion in the program.

The first vessel was scheduled to be delivered in 2015 but the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder, Navantia, has said the weight problems could cause delays of up to two years.

Source – Daily Mail

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Electric Boat, Isaac Peral, Navantia, Spain, SSK, Submarine

Tangled in red tape, India's submarine fleet sinking

The Indian Navy is making do with just 14 aging conventional diesel-electric submarines.

NEW DELHI: The navy’s desperate attempts to rescue its sinking underwater combat arm have been dealt a double whammy. First, the ongoing project to construct six Scorpene submarines has been delayed by another 14-18 months, with the first vessel now slated to roll out of Mazagon Dock Limited(MDL) by November 2016 at the earliest.More worryingly, the new project to construct six advanced stealth submarines, armed with both land-attack missile capabilities and air-independent propulsion for greater underwater endurance, is still stuck in political apathy and bureaucratic red-tape. It has already been examined by three committees after being granted “acceptance of necessity” in November 2007.

The finance ministry has now again returned the file for the over Rs 50,000-crore project, code-named Project-75India, to the defence ministry for clarifications.

“The draft Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) note for P-75I is simply being tossed around with no resolution in sight. The global tender or RFP (request for proposal) for it can be issued only after the CCS approves the file,” said a source.

Even if the P-75I tender is floated today, it will take at least three years to ink the contract with the selected foreign collaborator, and another seven to eight years after that for the first submarine to be built.

With the over Rs 23,000 crore Scorpene (P-75) project already running four years behind the original 2012-17 induction schedule, alarms bells are now ringing. The navy is making do with just 14 aging conventional diesel-electric submarines — 10 Russian Kilo-class and four German HDW ones — which are to be progressively retired in the coming years despite life-extension refits. China and Pakistan, meanwhile, are adding muscle to their underwater combat fleets.

Way back in 1999, the CCS approved a 30-year submarine-building plan, which envisaged induction of 12 new submarines by 2012, followed by another dozen by 2030. But the government’s inability to plan and take decisions means the navy is yet to get a single submarine 14 years later.

P-75I is embroiled in a debate over the “selection of Indian shipyards” and the “indigenization level to be achieved”. While two submarines are to be imported, four will be constructed in India.

The navy wants private shipyards to be involved in the project to save time since MDL is overburdened with orders. But the MoD’s defence production department has insisted that three will be built at MDL in Mumbai and one at Hindustan Shipyard in Visakhapatnam.

The Scorpene project, with contracts being inked with French firms in October 2005 has been grossly mismanaged, with huge time and cost overruns. The deal for the ‘MDL procured material packages’, including sensors, propulsion and the likes, with the French firms was signed only last December. The order for heavy-weight torpedoes to arm the submarines is also yet to be placed.

Projections show only five to six of the present 14 Indian submarines will be fully operational by 2020. Even with a few Scorpenes by then, India will remain far short of the minimum 18 conventional submarines required to deter Pakistan and China.

Source - Times of India

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Defence Ministry, India's Submarine Fleet Sinking, Mazagon Dock Limited, Scorpene, Submarine, Submarines

The forgotten logbook of a former Royal Navy diver has revealed a fascinating insight into attempts to raise a unique First World War submarine that sank more than 80 years ago as the result of a tragic accident.

The faded and yellowing diary was rediscovered by the family of Plymouth-born Albert “Bob” Smale who, as a 23-year-old recently-qualified navy diver took part in a year-long salvage operation to raise the world’s very first underwater aircraft carrier, HMS M2.

Lee Smale, 62, pictured with his father’s logbook
The world’s first underwater aircraft carrier HMS M2 in action with her two-man Parnell Peto biplane – the ship sank while on a routine training exercise off West Bay, Dorset, in 1932
Lieutenant Commander Lionel ‘Buster’ Crabbe disappeared in the murky waters of Portsmouth Harbour
Albert ‘Bob’ Smale during his Royal Navy career, in which he served as a diver

Lee Smale, 62, of Plymouth, the youngest son of four children born to Bob and Gladys Smale, remembers his father’s logbook from childhood.

He said: “The logbook had always been in the family but we’d never really given it much thought. He died in 1968 but it was only when we began sorting through my mother’s things when she moved into sheltered accommodation that it resurfaced.

“But looking through all his belongings and coming across the logbook again, the family recognised its significance.”

The M2 was one of four “M” class submarines put into service during the First World War and following the cessation of hostilities was modified to carry a small two-seater Parnell Peto biplane.

Intended for aerial reconnaissance during advance scouting missions, the aircraft had hinged wings to allow it to fit within a specially designed watertight hangar. Launched by hydraulic “catapult”, the Peto was recovered via a deck-mounted crane on its return.

On January 26, 1932, during a routine training exercise off West Bay, Dorset, after advising her support vessel of her intention to dive, all contact with the M2 was lost and the submarine disappeared without trace.

A major search ensued but with her position unknown it was eight days before the M2′s location was eventually discovered. All of the vessel’s 60-strong crew lost their lives in the tragedy – believed to be a direct consequence of a failure to secure the submarine’s hangar doors before diving.

Lying upright on the seabed at a depth in excess of 30 metres, the Royal Navy salvage team, hindered by the strong tidal currents that swirled around the M2, worked around the clock for 11 months to seal the hull before filling the vessel with air to refloat the stricken submarine.

However, as the salvage attempt reached its final stage, and only six metres from the surface, a heavy gale resulted in the operation being aborted and the M2 dropped back down to the seabed.

The neat handwritten pages of the logbook initially record Mr Smale’s diver training, but further examination revealed a passage dedicated to the M2 salvage work carried out by himself and his colleagues.

Under a heading entitled “M2 Salvage,” Mr Smale describes the “method of sealing hatches with cement”.

“Hatch is closed down and then a layer of small bags filled with cement is placed on top, and then a few buckets of loose cement is put on to fill in the spaces between bags,” he wrote.

The logbook also contains a detailed hand-drawn illustration of the submarine showing its position, features and amendments before the failed lifting operation.

The difficulties of working at such a depth, contending with strong tides, poor visibility and bad weather while dressed in the heavy brass helmets of the era are also conveyed in detail in a collection of newspaper cuttings pasted among the book’s pages.

The Dorset Echo newspaper reported: “He has an electric torch swung around his neck. The feeble illumination of this helps him when the torch is held close, but his principal asset is a sense of direction acquired by experience and that astonishing sensitiveness of touch which utter darkness gives to a diver as to a man who is blind.”

“My dad had quite a varied and distinguished career,” said Lee, who also has a certificate in recognition of his father’s Mention in Dispatches during the Wanhsien Incident on the Yangtze River, China in 1926.

Going on to achieve the rank of Petty Officer, Bob Smale was a contemporary and close friend of Lionel “Buster” Crabb, the Royal Navy frogman who disappeared in mysterious circumstances at the height of the Cold War.

Lieutenant Commander Crabb, came to prominence for his pioneering work in underwater bomb disposal during the Second World War and while he had all but retired by 1955, just a year later he was recruited by MI6 to investigate an advanced propulsion system used by the Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze during the vessel’s visit to the United Kingdom.

On the evening of April 19, 1956, Crabb descended into the murky waters of Portsmouth Harbour on what was to be his final mission and was never seen again.

Several months later the headless and handless corpse of a diver was discovered floating in a nearby harbour, but this was not the end of Commander Crabb’s story.

At the inquest into Crabb’s disappearance, the coroner’s report suggested the body was in all probability that of the missing 47-year-old OBE and George Medal holder – despite the lack of firm evidence which could have been provided by fingerprints or dental records.

Unsurprisingly, various theories abounded as to Crabb’s fate: he was killed by a Soviet sniper; eliminated by MI5 or even defected to the USSR to head their military diving team.

However, Lee Smale is adamant that his father’s friend did not die on that fateful night.

“He and my father were apparently very close and he told members of the family at the time that he didn’t believe for one minute that Crabb was dead,” he said.

With her protected status as a War Grave, the wreck of HMS M2 has now become popular dive site with recreational scuba divers.

Allowed to dive her remains on a “look-but-don’t-touch” basis, the modern-day diver can observe the M2′s final resting place, just as Bob Smale did more than 80 years ago.

Source – This is Cornwall

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: HMS M2, Lionel "buster" Crabbe, Submarine, WW1

No mention of sub replacements in $33B National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, report says

The HMCS Chicoutimi sits aboard the heavy lift ship Tern in Halifax harbour on April 6, 2009. The vessel was transported to Victoria for a refit. (CBC)

Stealth and silence are hallmarks of the Royal Canadian Navy’s submarine fleet but those qualities may also apply to the federal government’s vision for the beleaguered force, says a new report released Tuesday on the future of the navy’s sub squadron.

The report, titled “That Sinking Feeling” said there are indications that the future of submarines in the navy may be as shaky as the spotty service record of the second-hand Royal Canadian Navy subs.

A hint of looming doom for the submarine fleet could be that there is no mention of replacements in the much-touted National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), said the report, which is produced by the Rideau Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“Nowhere in the plan is there any mention of one particular, significant, readily identifiable and probably imminent procurement — namely, the replacement of Canada’s troubled Victoria-class submarines,” the report said.

The report is co-authored by Stewart Webb, a researcher with the Rideau Institute, and Professor Michael Byers, a University of British Columbia defence expert.

Byers has been critical of both the Harper government and Canada’s military procurement strategy in the past. In 2008, Byers sought the New Democratic Party nomination for the federal riding of Vancouver Centre but lost to Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry.

The government plans on spending $33 billion over the next three decades replacing the ships of Canada’s navy.

New supply and logistics ships, a fleet of Arctic patrol vessels and up to 15 replacements for the navy’s front-line frigates and destroyers are planned. But submarines, which the navy claims are vital to Canada’s defence, do not surface in the ambitious warship construction program.

“Canada’s Victoria-class submarines may have as little as one decade of remaining service-life, and too many mistakes have been made with submarine procurement in the past,” the report said.

Victoria-class fiasco

The report chronicles the history of Canada’s dabbling with submarines — from the failed attempt to build up to a dozen powerful nuclear submarines in the late 1980s to the decision to buy four mothballed British submarines that had to be retro-fitted around an American-supplied torpedo.

By the time Canada decided to buy the four bargain-priced submarines, the oldest had spent a total of nine years languishing in salt water without a crew.

“Unfortunately, the apparent bargain quickly became a costly fiasco,” states the report.

The report provides a scathing account of the “inferior vessels” since the first sub, HMCS Victoria, entered service in the Canadian navy in 2000.

The time all the submarines have spent at sea is a telling number.

While in service with the British navy for four years, the subs spent 1,077 days at sea. But after 13 years in service with the Canadian navy, the boats have spent only 783 days patrolling, the report said.

One sailor was killed and several others injured because of a fire aboard the submarine HMCS Chicoutimi and there have been constant, and later confirmed, reports of cracked valves, a dented hull, shoddy electrical systems, rusted parts and cost overruns.

CBC reported last month that HMCS Windsor’s planned two-year refit actually lasted five years and cost $209 million.

After the submarine was relaunched in Halifax in the fall of 2012 it was discovered that one of the vessel’s two generators didn’t work, resulting in the submarine being restricted to near-home waters until the multi-million generator can be replaced. That replacement might not happen for years, confirmed the navy.

The federal government signed a controversial $1.5 billion contract in 2008 with the Canadian subsidiary of a British-based company to provide “in-service support” for the submarines.

But Tuesday’s report said that money could have funded a new fleet of state-of-the art submarines.

“The Harper government could have procured three to four brand new diesel-electric submarines, based on proven designs from France, Germany, or Sweden,” states the report.

Future plans sketchy

The report challenges Canadians to decide whether the navy needs submarines or not but it also ponders whether the Harper government is quietly planning to procure new submarines.

Military brass have made it clear that submarines are front and centre in its plans for Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic defence. But the government has not been so forthright.

“There is clearly a desire within [the Department of National Defence] and the Canadian Armed Forces for the procurement of new submarines. But the absence of submarines from the NSPS remains unexplained,” write the authors.

The report suggests there may be three possible scenarios for Canada’s submarine future: a possible secret plan for the Victoria class replacement; a possible secret plan to terminate Canada’s sub capability; or there is no plan to either keep or replace the current fleet.

“Condemning Canada’s submarine program to death through neglect and obsolescence rather than design,” the report said.

Other countries have decided to scrap submarine capabilities altogether.

The Danish navy pulled the plug on its sub fleet, and the possibility of new submarines in 2004 after a national debate.

Instead of subs, the Danes opted to build a small but mighty fleet of surface ships to patrol in both home and international waters.

But many other countries have decided to invest in submarines as the ideal way to deny other nations access to their waters.

China, India, Iran, Chile, Malaysia and Israel are all building or buying new fleets of advanced submarines.

The report said there are several submarine designs Canada might consider to replace the aging but low mileage Victoria class submarines.

The German-built U-214 class has the ability to remain underwater for weeks at time because of new air-independent technology.

Canada’s submarines must surface, or send mast to the surface, several times a day in order to charge batteries.

New submarines like the French Scorpene or Swedish Gotland would allow Canada to patrol under the ice in the Arctic and do so with just 25 sailors — half the crew needed for the Victoria class.

But if history is any guide, it takes Canada 15 to 20 years to design and build a new class of complex warships.

“The best-before date of Canada’s Victoria-class is approaching, perhaps as soon as 2023,” warns the report.

Cmdr. Hubert Genest, with the navy’s public affairs office, told CBC News that the navy plans to operate the Victoria-class submarines until the late 2020s, saying that the navy has “always said that the Victoria-class submarines was the bridge to the next generation of submarines for Canada.”

Source – CBC News

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: 2400, Canada, HMCS Chicoutimi, HMCS Windsor, Submarine, Upholder class, Victoria class

A MARINE Engineering Officer who had the “relentless” task of keeping a nuclear submarine at sea for 11 months has been awarded an MBE.

Lieutenant Commander Andy Sharp was deployed aboard HMS Triumph in 2011 and 2012 when the boat was sent to the Gulf and Libya.

Servicemean Andy Sharp receives his MBE, accompanied by his fiancee Kay Talbot

The 45-year-old regularly faced repairing the ageing Trafalgar-Class boat but each and every time ensured HMS Triumph and her crew remained tightly on schedule.

The citation explained how the boat remained on station for Operations Ellamy and Unified Protector for more than 100 days providing vital intelligence to NATO and as the UK’s strategic strike capability.

mbe

It continued: “Throughout that time Andy led his department with selfless dedication, tenacity and resourcefulness as they kept the submarine in a first class state of repair through what was, at the time, the longest ever operational SSN deployment.

“By the time she returned to the UK, HMS Triumph had spent over 14 of the previous months away from home and that achievement was due in no small part to Andy.”

Commander Rob Dunn, the Commanding Officer of HMS Triumph at the time, said: “Too often in the past what submariners have done has been out of sight and therefore out of mind. But the challenges faced by my engineers in keeping Triumph ready for operations was immense and I was delighted to see Andy, along with several other members of my crew, recognised in the Operational Awards.”

Also to be recognised in the Operational Honours with a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service was Warrant Officer 2 Alasdair McCall who supported Andy throughout the deployment.

Andy said: “It was a brilliant day, it was presented by the Queen. She said congratulations and asked me if I was busy last year because of the award.”

He said the MBE represented the hard work of an “excellent team”.

The Lt Cdr was presented his MBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace with his fiancee Kay Talbot and children Danny and Kirsty.

His son Danny, a Royal Navy Air Engineering Technician, was flown off HMS Illustrious especially for the occasion.

Source – ThisisPlymouth

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: HMS Triumph, Lieutenant Commander Andy Sharp, MBE, MEO, Royal Navy, Submarine

The Russians are coming, again, in submarines to waters near New Zealand.

The state-run Itar-Tass agency says Russia will send submarines armed with nuclear ballistic missiles to the South Pacific and the Southern Ocean.

“The revival of nuclear-submarine patrols will allow us to fulfil the tasks of strategic deterrence not only across the North Pole but also the South Pole,” an unnamed official in the military General Staff was quoted as saying.

Given that the South Pole is 1500 kilometres from the sea, it suggests the new Borei-class submarines, with 16 long-range nuclear missiles, might end up in the Ross Sea.

“As the Russian Navy receive the Borei-class missile submarines, they will not only continue to patrol the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but will resume execution of combat missions in those regions of the world’s ocean, where in the late 90s of the last century used to be the Soviet Navy, and where they have ceased to appear following the collapse of the Soviet Union,” the report said.

It echoes the Soviet days and in 1982, when a Russian submarine was photographed by the Royal New Zealand Air Force east of New Zealand.

The air force still has submarine-hunting capacity in the form of its six P3 Orions, but it seldom practises finding them now.

In 1972, the navy was ordered to sea as intelligence suggested a Soviet submarine was near New Zealand.

Several ships and the air force were well out to sea when they heard, on what was then the NZBC, that a Soviet hydrographic submarine had docked in Suva that morning.

Just before Christmas in 1982, the diesel-powered Soviet Foxtrot submarine Regul was spotted on the surface near Tahiti sailing with a research vessel.

It continued towards the South Island and was last seen near the Chatham Islands. The Soviets said they were doing oceanographic work.

Three years later, there were headlines and claims that the French submarine Rubis was in the Waitemata Harbour, supporting the agents bombing the Rainbow Warrior. It was never proved.

German and Japanese submarines operated near New Zealand during World War II.

U862 captain Heinrich Timm claimed later that while they were off Hawke’s Bay, crew landed to get fresh milk from the dairy herd they saw.

In the 1870s, New Zealand built 17 harbour forts around the country, fearing that Tsarist Russia, in the wake of the Crimean War, might invade. It was never clear why it wanted Auckland.

Source – Stuff.co.nz

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Borei Class, Itar-Tass, New Zealand, P3 Orion, Regul, Russia, Submarine, Tahiti

Adm. Frank Kelso, who died Sunday, was chief of naval operations from 1990 to 1994.

Kelso’s career

1956 Frank Kelso graduates from the Naval Academy1956 to 1958 Serves on the cargo ship Oglethorpe

1958 to 1960 Attends submarine school and receives nuclear power training

1960 to 1969 Serves on several submarines

January 1969 to August 1971 Commanding officer, U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School, Md.

1971 to 1975 Commanding officer on the submarines Finback and Bluefish; serves on staff of U.S. Atlantic Fleet submarine force

September 1975 to July 1977 Executive assistant to the commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet and supreme allied commander, Atlantic

1978 to 1980 Commander, Submarine Squadron 7; division director, Submarine Distribution Division in the Naval Military Personnel Command; section head, Submarine Programs Section, Office of Deputy CNO

1980 to 1984 After promotion to rear admiral, serves as director, Strategic Submarine Division, Office of CNO; director, Office of Program Appraisal, Office of Secretary of the Navy

February 1985 Becomes commander, 6th Fleet, and NATO commander, Naval Striking Force/Support Forces Southern Europe

June 1986 Becomes commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk

November 1988 Becomes NATO’s supreme allied commander, Atlantic and commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Command

June 1990 to April 1994 Chief of naval operations

June 23, 2013 Dies in Norfolk

Source: U.S. Navy

In the place where he was born and where he retired, he was known as a hometown hero who made it all the way to chief of naval operations, influenced men of power and maintained the humility of an ordinary guy next door.

In Norfolk, where he served pivotal years in his 38-year career, Adm. Frank Kelso was a senior regional commander who helped run operations at the end of the Cold War and during heated years in the Middle East before being tapped to run the entire Navy.

Kelso, 79, died Sunday after suffering a fall, according to Navy officials. He was in Hampton Roads visiting his son Robert, a Navy captain who was chief of staff of Navy Cyber Forces until this year. Kelso attended the high school graduation of his grandson, Robbie Kelso, who, following in his grandfather’s footsteps, will go to the Naval Academy in the fall.

“As CNO, he led our Navy through the Gulf War and the uncharted early days of the post-Cold War era with skills and dedication,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement. “Adm. Kelso was a submariner, an accomplished commander and an unmatched leader known for his intelligence and integrity.”

Kelso spent nearly four decades building a career from his days as a submariner to his place at the Navy’s helm. He led forces in strikes against Libya, helped rescue hostages of Palestinian hijackers, and oversaw a difficult drawdown of the Navy at the end of the Cold War. During that period, he realigned the Navy to work more closely with the other services.

But he told a historian that despite his career of nearly four decades, he feared his name would always be tied to the 1991 Tailhook scandal, in which dozens of women were sexually assaulted during a convention of Navy and Marine Corps aviation officers in Las Vegas.

“He lamented… that for many people, that may be the only thing people will remember about him – and he did so much,” said Paul Stillwell, who conducted 37 hours of oral interviews with Kelso as the director of the U.S. Naval Institute’s history division.

The scandal marked the end of numerous officer careers and ultimately led Kelso to retire early. He said he had become “a lightning rod” and hoped his stepping down would shift the focus forward.

Kelso was accused of witnessing abusive acts and turning a blind eye, something he vehemently denied, Stillwell said.

“My assessment was that was not something he would stand for, nor would he lie about it,” Stillwell said. “He was just an individual for whom I had great admiration. He was unpretentious, down to earth, and for someone who accomplished as much as he did, that was very refreshing.”

Kelso’s two sons both served in the Navy, and two weeks ago he attended the graduation of a grandson who is headed into the Navy.

Kelso led the Navy’s 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea during the 1980s, leading the operation to capture hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise ship and the subsequent air strikes on Libya in response to state-sponsored terrorism.

He served in Norfolk from 1986 until 1990, first as commander in chief of the Atlantic Fleet and then as NATO’s supreme allied commander, Atlantic and as commander in chief of U.S. Atlantic Command.

Retired Vice Adm. Robert Dunn, who commanded Naval Air Force Atlantic in those years, said he never saw Kelso fall short of his duties as a leader.

“He always had a kind word for everyone,” Dunn said. “Good people just naturally flocked to him.”

Kelso became chief of naval operations in 1990 and served until his retirement in 1994. He oversaw the Navy in the Gulf War even as he managed severe budget cuts. Kelso realigned the Navy to meet new, tighter demands. He also supported the integration of women into more wide-ranging roles and command, particularly in the wake of Tailhook.

In Fayetteville, Tenn., where Kelso is to be buried Saturday, businesses lowered flags to half-staff for a man described as a lifelong friend and active community leader, said Ann Hatcher, associate pastor at the First United Methodist Church.

“He was a remarkable man and what has always impressed me so much about him was his humility,” said Hatcher, who knew Kelso from the time she was a young girl.

“He was probably the most important person I would ever meet in my lifetime, but it was never about him. It was always about someone else.”

Source – PilotOnline.com

Filed under: US Submarines Tagged: Admiral Frank Kelso, Submarine, Submariner

Workers at Barrow’s BAE Systems plant in front of an Astute class submarine

MPs and members of the House of Lords met to show their support for the UK’s submarine building industry, a key employer in the North West.

Politicians met with key figures in the industry and representatives of the supply chain and trade unions, who wanted to illustrate the chain of jobs that sten form submarine construction in areas like Barrow.

The event was supported by BAE Systems and the Keep Our Future Afloat Campaign, a trade union organisation which campaigns to keep high-tech jobs in the North West and across the UK.

Philip Dunne MP, minister for defence equipment, and Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP, Labour’s shadow secretary of state, were among those who spoke at the event to show their strong support for Britain’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent.

All the speakers paid tribute to the cutting edge work of the firms forming the supply chain for the Astute-class submarines, currently under construction in Barrow, and stressed the importance for these firms of the Vanguard replacement programme.

John Woodcock, MP for Barrow and Furness, who hosted the event said:

“It was fantastic to see so many MPs and peers from every corner of the country and all political parties coming to meet representatives of the firms and workers who form the supply chain for Britain’s cutting edge submarines. They will have been left in no doubt of the importance of the submarine programme to supporting British manufacturing and rebalancing the economy, as well as to securing Britain’s security – I hope they will bear this in mind when the time comes in 2016 to make a decision on renewing our at-sea nuclear deterrent.

“I am particularly grateful for the strong political support given to the submarine programme by government and opposition frontbenchers, Philip Dunne and Jim Murphy, in their speeches – the 1,200 firms in the supply chain will have taken heart from what they both said.”

Source – ITV News

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: Astute, BAE Systems, Barrow, Philip Dunne, Submarine, Vanguard

The future of Britain’s Trident nuclear programme has split the coalition

The Liberal Democrats are considering calling for Britain to give up its permanent at-sea nuclear deterrent within the next few years.

They are expected to use a review of Trident to say some of the UK’s four nuclear submarines should not be replaced after they are decommissioned.

But senior figures are now pushing to end Britain’s continuous at-sea deterrent even earlier, from 2016.

A decision about the future of Trident has to be made by that point.

This would mean that some of the existing Vanguard submarines would be confined to port with skeleton crews and used for spare parts to keep the remaining boats operational.

The hope among Lib Dems is that this would not just save billions of pounds but would also send a signal that it is possible for a nuclear state to reduce its arsenal while keeping some kind of a deterrent.

‘Kept in port’

This was hinted at last week when Lib Dem Treasury chief secretary Danny Alexander said it was time “to move on from the Cold War postures of the past” with a credible deterrent that “can play a role in supporting disarmament in future”.

One senior Lib Dem MP said: “We are looking at ending continuous at-sea deterrent even earlier. We don’t have to wait until the subs need replacing. We could just keep them in port now.”

Another Lib Dem MP said: “If you thought that you could sustain a meaningful deterrent with two boats, then nothing would prevent you using the existing boats on the same principle.

“It would be reckless to scrap them but you could cannibalise them for parts.

The proposal is contained in an internal party policy paper on defence which is said to be at a “pretty late stage of development” and will be put to the Lib Dem conference in September.

Mr Alexander has chaired the government’s review of Trident which is sitting on David Cameron’s and Nick Clegg’s desks and will be published shortly.

It is expected to say that some of the potential alternative ways of delivering nuclear weapons – from land or from air – are either too expensive or too impractical. But the review is expected to consider the option of scaling back the current submarine-launched system.

Most military experts agree that it would be impossible to provide a continuous, around-the-clock nuclear deterrent with less than four Vanguard submarines. With training and repairs, there is frequently only one submarine on duty at sea.

‘Credible’

The Conservatives are committed to a like-for-like replacement of Trident which is estimated to cost as much as £20bn. But many Lib Dems believe that Trident is too expensive and distorts the defence budget.

They hope to argue that it would be better to spend the money on troops and kit.

Last week Mr Alexander told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme that the review was seeking to answer whether like-for-like replacement was “the only way to protect our country in future”.

“And while the review doesn’t come to any conclusions, I think when we publish the results in a few weeks time people will see that there are choices available to this country, there are alternatives where we can move on from the Cold War postures of the past and try and set out a new future for this country with a deterrent that is credible but where this country can play a role in supporting disarmament in future.”

A Lib Dem spokesman said: “The Cabinet Office-led review into alternatives to Trident has now been submitted to the prime minister and deputy prime minister.

“The review’s findings will now be considered and an unclassified version will be published in due course.”

A senior Conservative source said: “Abandoning our continuous at sea deterrence, which has been the ultimate safeguard of our national security for more than 45 years, would be a reckless gamble.

“And leaving our nuclear-armed submarines rusting in port, and then seeking to deploy them at a time of crisis would not only put Britain’s security at risk, but would also risk escalating global tensions.

“Conservative policy is clear: we will safeguard Britain’s national security and maintain our continuous at sea deterrent.”

John Woodcock, Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, said: “Unilaterally ending the commitment to keeping at least one nuclear submarine operational at all times will make no meaningful contribution to global non-proliferation, in fact it could have the opposite result by unsettling other countries who are currently under NATO’s umbrella of protection.

“The Liberal Democrats are finally admitting there is no alternative mini-deterrent that could save billions, but few will be taken in by their latest fallacy that a part-time deterrent could save lots of money and protect Britain adequately in the event of a threat in future decades.”

Source – BBC News

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: Deterrent, Lib Dems, Submarine, Trident, Vanguard

UK – Stokesley-based firm Analox Military Systems has won a valuable contract to supply submarine equipment to the Norwegian Navy

Analox Military System is to supply the Norwegian Navy with submarine equipment

A manufacturing specialist has won a six-figure contract to supply the Norwegian Navy with submarine equipment.

Analox Military Systems (AMS), which specialises in the design and manufacture of gas analysis equipment, has signed the contract with Norwegian Defense Logistics Organisation (NDLO) to supply the Norwegian Navy with two carbon monoxide monitoring systems for six ULA-class submarines.

Established more than 30 years ago, the Stokesley-based firm already exports to navies around the world including the USA, Brazil, Holland, Australia and Sweden.

It will undertake the development, manufacture, installation and commissioning of the new system, with the first due to be delivered in February.

Analox Ltd divided its operation into two divisions in 2011, launching Analox Military Systems Ltd to help it continue the business growth.

AMS, which also won Exporter of the Year Award at the North East Business Awards 2006, delivers services and products for military customers around the world. It is currently working with Hakon Rygh, its Norwegian distributor, on the installation and commissioning phase.

Vicky Brown, sales and marketing director at AMS, said: “We’re very proud to be supplying the Norwegian Navy with gas analysis equipment.

“Historically, carbon monoxide monitoring has been problematic for submarines owing to the presence of hydrogen.

“AMS’s new system uses an accurate infra-red technique and as a result, is not sensitive to hydrogen, giving the submariners confidence in the accuracy of the monitoring.”

Commander Baard Gjerstad, project manager submarine projects for NDLO, added: “We needed equipment which would not be affected if hydrogen was present, and Analox Military Systems is able to deliver systems which meet this specific need. We are looking forward to working with AMS on this contract.”

The submarine has people living and working within a confined space. It is therefore essential the atmosphere is carefully managed at all times to limit exposure of the crew to potentially harmful substances.

The new CO monitoring system, which is designed specifically for submarines, will be officially launched at DSEi, a major defence and security exhibition in London, from September 10 to 13.

Brown added: “ We are expanding our team and boosting our engineering capability. This contract win, and the growth of our team, is testament to the commitment and hard work of everyone at AMS.”

This contract win, and the growth of our team, is testament to commitment and hard work

Source - The Journal

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: AMS, Analox Military System, Norway, ULA-Class

A rare site of two Canadian subs sailing together into homeport for the Christmas holidays. Seen leading the pack is the HMCS Cornerbrook with the HMCS Windsor following. The HMCS Cornerbrook and the HMCS Windsor arrived in the early dawn coming along side in Halifax today in Nova Scotia on the 21st of December 2006

The Harper government is set to announce a five-year, $531-million contract extension to repair and upgrade Canada’s fleet of four diesel-electric submarines

OTTAWA — B.C.’s shipbuilding and repair industry will get a shot of good news Thursday when the Harper government announces a five-year, $531-million contract extension to repair and upgrade Canada’s fleet of four diesel-electric submarines, The Vancouver Sun has learned.

The contract, following a similar agreement struck in 2008, will protect roughly 200 jobs at the department of national defence’s Fleet Maintenance Facility in Esquimalt, according to a federal official.

Another 200 jobs will be protected at locations elsewhere in Canada, he said.

“This significant federal investment will support more than 400 high-quality jobs, improve the long-term sustainability of B.C.’s shipbuilding industry and provide the best tools for Canada’s sailors,” he said in a prepared statement.

The contract was won in a competitive bid by Babcock Canada Inc., a subsidiary of the British multinational firm Babcock International Group PLC.

Babcock International won the original contract in 2008 after it teamed up with Weir Canada Inc. of Mississauga, Ont., to create a consortium called the Canadian Submarine Management Group.

However, Babcock announced in 2011 that CSMG would be renamed Babcock Canada Inc. after Weir’s share of the joint venture was transferred to Babcock.

The original contract award caused a political flap because Babcock beat out Irving Shipbuilding, which wanted to keep the repair work in Halifax.

One of the critics was Green party leader Elizabeth May, who at the time was planning her run against Defence Minister Peter MacKay in his Nova Scotia riding.

May, who accused the government of an “anti-Atlantic bias,” is now the MP for the Vancouver Island riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands.

The original five-year contract in 2008 was worth $370 million over five years, but if CSMG met performance targets the contract was to be extended over 15 years, for a total value of up to $1.5 billion.

Thursday’s announcement gives a clear indication that Babcock has met those targets.

The fleet of four Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines has had a rocky history after the Liberal government made what appeared to be the bargain-basement purchase of the mothballed subs from the Royal Navy for $750 million in 1998.

It took far longer and was costlier than expected to make the vessels seaworthy, and in 2004 the HMCS suffered a fire that left one officer dead. In 2011, HMCS Corner Brook ran aground near Vancouver Island during manoeuvres.

There are now two subs, HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor, that are fully operational.

HMCS Chicoutimi is currently being serviced at Esquimalt but is expected to be ready for sea trials later this year.

The HMCS Corner Brook is also in Esquimalt for both repairs and a refit.

The fleet is “at the highest state of readiness that they’ve ever been,” the source said.

Source – The Vancouver Sun

Filed under: The world's submarines Tagged: Canada, HMCS Cornerbrook, HMCS Windsor, Submarine, Victoria class

The British nuclear submarine HMS Talent is pictured above as it sailed into the bay of Gibraltar yesterday escorted by a patrol boat from the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron.

This is the submarine’s second visit to the Rock so far this year.
It called here last May, the first British submarine to stop in Gibraltar in five years.
The Trafalgar-class ‘hunter killer’ submarine arrived yesterday afternoon and it is not known how long it will stay in port.
As is routine in such cases, the Ministry of Defence disclosed no information about the submarine’s visit.
A one-line statement contained the standard line that HMS Talent was visiting Gibraltar “…as part of scheduled operational tasking.”
The visit comes against continued tension in the Bay of Gibraltar over recent incursions by Guardia Civil and Spanish navy vessels.
HMS Talent is described by the Royal navy as a technically advanced, nuclear powered ‘hunter-killer’ submarine, the penultimate in a series of seven Trafalgar Class submarines.
Launched by Princess Anne in Barrow in Furness in 1988, the submarine has conducted operations all around the world.
The principal role of the ‘hunter-killer’ is to attack ships and other submarines.
In this capacity, vessels of this type could support and protect a convoy or taskforce.
HMS Talent can also be used in a surveillance role as it is fitted with cameras and thermal imaging periscopes.
HMS Talent is also fitted with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, which gives it a land attack role.

Source – Gibraltar Chronicle

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: Gibraltar, HMS Talent, Royal Navy, Submarine, Trafalgar Class

It’s hard to look at Sir Tony Robinson without conjuring an image of perennial idiot and Blackadder whipping boy Baldrick, writes Tim Spiers.

Sir Tony Robinson with the nuclear powered boat HMS Ambush (Blog editor takes no credit for this obvious inaccuracy!!)

His cunning plans and overwhelming stupidity earned Baldrick and Robinson cult status in the BBC sitcom and launched the actor’s career.

And rather oddly that career has taken a peculiar turn in recent years, with Robinson earning a niche for himself tucked away on Channel 4 on Sunday nights.

Time Team is, in the nicest possible sense, Geek TV, at least in its subject matter.

But as The Lost Submarine of WWI proves, that subject matter can be fascinating, educational and entertaining.

In it we see Robinson explore the story behind the very first submarines of warfare, focusing on the run-up to WWI and an arms race to build the most technologically advanced subs to try to win the war.

Submarines are compared favourably to tanks and machine guns in the way that they changed the face of warfare forever – they’re labelled as the weapon that changed the world, and with good reason.

First off Robinson travels to a secret location off the island of Skye to see firsthand the very latest in submarine technology.

Nuclear-powered sub HMS Ambush weighs 7,400 tonnes, can purify its own air and water, travel around the globe without ever popping above the surface and will never be refuelled in its 25 years of service.

It’s a far cry from the primitive early boats of the early 1900s, but comparisons between then and now are plentiful.

To prove this we’re taken back more than 100 years to discover a submarine which changed warfare forever.

And the Holland 5 was built here in Britain.

All design elements that modern designers take for granted came to life in this sub, which actually began life as an anti-British terrorist weapon.

Irish Republican John Holland designed the early Holland prototypes and was linked with what was effectively the US arm of the IRA.

The plan was to build a submarine capable of sinking a battleship, but Holland’s designs never came to fruition and his business partner came to the UK and duly licensed the Holland 5 for the Royal Navy.

The first incarnation of the series – Holland 1 – was extremely basic but by the time Holland 5 came around, complete with a periscope, a storage tank for water to help keep its balance and a new system for diving gently into the water, the British had designed a submarine fit to take on the Germans.

Perhaps surprisingly submarines were criticised by some – they were labelled as underhand and ‘un-English’, with a strong sense of questioning the morality at being so sneaky, even if it meant the enemy would be defeated.

History buffs will eat this stuff up with a spoon but there’s interest for casual observers too.

And Time Team excels in keeping it simple for the viewer, so that even the most unlikely subject matters become accessible.

As for the Holland 5, it sank in the English Channel and rapid technological advances meant that it soon became outdated and new fleets of submarines – on both sides of the war – were hastily constructed from 1914 onwards. But the groundwork had been done and the British submarines played a substantial role in winning the war, making the Holland 5 a hugely successful invention.

Or as Robinson might put it, a rather good cunning plan.

Source – Shropshire Star

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: HMS Ambush, Sir Tony Robinson, Submarine, Time team, WW1

Two Navy servicemen on a ‘Stickleback’ submarine in 1954. Picture: Royal Maritime Museum

A MULTI-million pound museum to create the biggest memorial in the world to more than 5,300 Commonwealth sailors killed in the line of duty, and honour Scotland’s role in the development of submarine technology, is planned for the banks of the River Clyde.

Award-winning architect Gareth Hoskins, who designed the £47 million National Museum of Scotland redevelopment, the Culloden Battlefield Memorial Centre and the Bridge Arts Centre, has been asked to draw up plans for the new £6m building overlooking the Firth of Clyde at Helensburgh.

Funding for the proposed Scottish Submarine Centre is being sought from a consortium of private and public bodies with organisers claiming to have secured pledges of more than £1m so far.

An application for £240,000 is due to go before the Scottish Regional Armed Forces Community Covenant Awards Board for approval later this month.

The Community Covenant grant scheme was launched by the Ministry of Defence in August last year. It offers funding of £30m over four years to UK projects which strengthen ties between serving and former military personnel with their communities.

The proposed Submarine Centre will be the only one of its kind in Scotland. Already, the Royal Navy Museum has agreed to donate an X51-class submarine as a centrepiece of the state-of-the-art digital museum to act as a memorial to submariners from around the world.

The midget submarine is a direct descendant of the X-class subs whose crews trained in the Firth of Clyde during the Second World War to develop the techniques needed to attack enemy shipping in the narrow fjords of Norway. The X51, improved on the wartime midget submarines, was first unveiled in 1954 on the Gareloch in the Firth of Clyde. Capable of carrying a crew of five, the miniature subs were used for a variety of roles. However, the history of submarines and the Clyde is much longer.

It is hoped the new facility will open by the end of 2016 in time for the 100th anniversary of the K13 disaster. Thirty-two people died when the steam-driven submarine failed during sea trials in the Gareloch near Helensburgh on 29 January, 1917 within sight of the location proposed for the new museum and memorial. Brian Keating, a Helensburgh-based businessman who is driving the project, said: “Helensburgh and the Clyde have been associated with the submarine service for more than 100 years. A lot of work was done here to pioneer the technology.

“The Clyde has also played a major role as a home to submarines on active duty. Many of the most famous and daring missions carried out during the Second World War either began here or were in some way connected with the Clyde.

“We want to create a world-class museum which celebrates the marine engineering heritage of the Clyde shipbuilders involved in the development of submarines and serves as a memorial to the brave men from all over the Commonwealth who served in the ‘silent service’.”

Architect Hoskins, a native of Helensburgh, was recently awarded a series of top awards.

Source – Scotsman

Filed under: UK Submarines Tagged: Helensburgh, river clyde, Stickleback submarine, Submarine Museum

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