Submarine Arms Race in the Pacific

Submarine Arms Race in the Pacific

english.chosun.com

China and South Korea are expanding their submarine fleets as the U.S. Navy shrinks its own. The conservative Heritage Foundation in a report last Tuesday said that by 2025 the number of U.S. submarines in the Pacific Ocean will fall from 30 to 27 while China will have 78 submarines and South Korea 26.

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China's growth is especially noteworthy. The Financial Times says that China's naval forces are already world class with 255,000 sailors, 26 destroyers, 49 frigates and 58 amphibious landing vessels. Since 1995, China has focused on submarine construction and built 31 new models by 2005. China presently has 60 submarines including six nuclear and 50 diesel-powered ones.

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Australia and India feel they have no choice but to bolster their own naval warfare capabilities. Australia plans to boost the number of its submarines from six to 12 and India from 17 to 24. Meanwhile, Russia is struggling to just maintain its existing level of military capability. Pacifist Japan and North Korea with its fleet of rusting vessels are unlikely to flex much naval muscle in the region.

I am not certain, but I'm pretty sure I recently read that the US commissioned its fifth Virginia class submarine and ordered a handful more. Are these going to replace existing models that are about to be decommissioned?

One would think the Pentagon would consider this rapidly growing number of Chinese submarines as a serious strategical threat, but apparently it is not considered necessary to join this arms race.


english.chosun.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Interesting if the US has the sound signatures of the Chinese boats.

The US has/had a mine system called CAPTOR mine. this mine could be armed with a nuke warhead.

If the system has been updated its computer could be programed to go after only ships programed into it by there sound signatures.

This would allow the US to close all of china’s ports to chinese subs and ether lock them in-port or block them from returning to port to reload or repair damage, refuel
en.wikipedia.org...

In the 1970s the mine sweep i was on was involved in testing this mine.

Very nasty mine and if the computers have been upgraded it could be imposable to hide from.
Change the warhead from a conventional to nuke and there would be no way to get away and just one could close most harbors.
What country would want to destroy there own port by trying to sail a ship out of the port.
Just drop the Captor mine and call them and warn them that there is a nuke mine in there harbor and when it will arm. and if any military ships moved what would happen. Harbor blockaded.

The Baker Atomic Test would show what a 20 kt nuke would do to a harbor.
www.youtube.com...
www.history.navy.mil...

Any ship can be a mine sweep ONCE.
Wooden Ships and Rusty Crusty Iron Men USS Enhance MSO-437


[edit on 8-2-2010 by ANNED]

We have to look at it from a statistical stand point as well. We have state of the art Virgina class subs coming in over the next decade. China has ALOT of diesel boats, Which need to refuel so they cannot stay under for a long time im guessing. Also, what are the capabilities of the chinese diesel subs. The pentagon must not be too uneasy because if they were they'd be on the phone ordering more Virgina Class subs.

I have found a very interesting article on this matter:

Conclusion

The shifting security environment in the Pacific Ocean and East Asia has caused serious concern among U.S. allies and friends. Several have responded by launching aggressive naval buildups, and Australia has openly tied its defense buildup to the shifting China-U.S. balance in the Pacific.

The U.S. Navy is still the most powerful navy in the world, and it has the best-trained and most capable submarine force, but its declining numbers have been stretched thin by the demands of ongoing operations and other assigned missions. The continuing decline of the U.S. submarine fleet, in particular, threatens U.S. undersea supremacy in the Pacific and therefore could seriously undermine the Navy's ability to operate effectively in East Asia and the Pacific.

Unless the U.S. rebuilds its submarine fleet and enhances the Navy's ASW capabilities, U.S. military superiority in the Pacific will continue to wane, leading to avoidable political and economic hazards for the U.S. and its friends and allies.

source