News, Super-light sub has 'capability greater than U.S. Navy' (explorer, Opera)

[JD59]

A new generation of deep-sea submarines light enough to launch from a yacht could open up the ocean's depths to amateur explorers.

The "Deep Flight" winged submersibles are experimental prototypes designed to dive to depths of up to 37,000 ft -- almost four times as deep as a giant squid dives -- descending at 400 ft/minute.

Super-light sub has 'capability greater than U.S. Navy' - CNN.com

[bluepacific]

Originally Posted by John1960

A new generation of deep-sea submarines light enough to launch from a yacht could open up the ocean's depths to amateur explorers.

The "Deep Flight" winged submersibles are experimental prototypes designed to dive to depths of up to 37,000 ft -- almost four times as deep as a giant squid dives -- descending at 400 ft/minute.

Super-light sub has 'capability greater than U.S. Navy' - CNN.com

While this is interesting, it mostly sounds like another toy for the super rich, I mean they did say ameteurs. However, it could also be good for many colleges, so who knows.

Another scary point though would be the possible use by terrorist in our wonderful day and age.

[Submariner]

Hmm, so this has an ability 'greater' than the NR-1?

What ability does it have?

I read the article and I missed it.

Granted the US Navy does not mass-produce deep-dive subs. The US Navy does have them. But the Navy's mission rarely requires a deep-dive boat.

Having completed 20-years as a Submariner, I would be interested in seeing exactly what ability this has that makes it 'greater'.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

What ability does it have?

I was guessing maneuverability. Since the Navy's subs are huge, industrial strength seagoing vessels, IMO this is like pointing out that a passenger car can park in more places than a school bus.

[Ninjahedge]

You don't know the bus drivers we had.......





j/k

[Tek_Freek]

I must have missed the torpedoes and Polaris missiles. Did anyone happen to see where they were?

[TomSD]

Yeah the tech and concept is cool but the title is misleading and sensationalist, lol. This could mean good things for schools and research groups though.

[Six Foot Three]

After reading the link to this story it is basically a yawn story as i thought they were talking about the equivilant to our SSBN's (Ballistics) and SSN's (Attack) Navy submarines. However as far as oceanography goes i'm sure these will be handy for that study.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Bowie

I was guessing maneuverability. Since the Navy's subs are huge, industrial strength seagoing vessels, IMO this is like pointing out that a passenger car can park in more places than a school bus.

um, the US Navy has:

Boomers [which are huge];

Fast-attacks [which are not as huge];

Diesels [which are primarily smaller and older hulls that we used, decomm'ed, paid other nations to take-over, then they handed them back to us, so now we use them for 'training'];

And a few tiny 4-man crew deep-diving research exploratory subs.

Plus the four sea-labs.



Not all of these are: 'industrial strength' unless your talking about depth ability.

[Cosmic]

Talk about the future based on something with shallow capabilites as maybe a working prototype. Maybe even that is not fully demo'd as an off the shelf capabilites. One thing to talk, another to develop a complete operational boat capable of routine safe operations.

Couple of points.

The US Navy does have very deep capabilities and have had for many years. You must separate them out by manned craft and unmanned.

Military capable submarines are not designed to be super deep diving for many reasons. The really deep diving boats are designed as "Research" class boats. The USN has had Alvin for many years, it has been continuous upgraded. Last I knew it was rated at ~14,000 feet. It is manned and has some drawbacks in practice. To be certified to dive, it must undergo a complete tear down about every 3 years, too expensive and putting a man in the loop is dangerous, expensive and not that much more capable than unmanned (UUV) today.

Most research boats today are designed to be unmanned. Putting the man in the loop it more and more undesirable, you get about the same visual abilities with unmanned and in some cases, depending on design, more sensing / visual / real operational abilities with unmanned. They are more available as up time in routine operation. Most unmanned are designed for the 6000 meter level (20,000 feet) operating depth. At that level you have access to ~93% of all the oceans bottom.

Much of it will be classified. There is some public knowledge. Most of them operate for the Bureau of Salvage. It is more than being able to dive deep, many more things have to happen to make it useful. Some of the stuff better not to say in public, I'm not sure how restricted some of it might be. There are a number of classes of UUV in operation.

The Japanese do have manned research boats (2) bottom capable to the deepest depths in Challenger Deep. They have been there. There are a number of countries with manned boats capable of 6000 meters. Russians, French and others.

Tons of unmanned UUV capablities around the World to very respectable depth, including many universities. Not very cutting edge claims to think they somehow are first or much more capable than anyone else. One thing to talk, another to build and operate a manned boat. The boat is the cheap part. The sea going support ship is the hard part and getting her to be super capable for cheap money. NR-1 got a new support momma boat a while back. The race is to get support ships in the fishing boat size that can operate in the $10K per day range total support costs. There is no use having a deep diving boat if you can not take it somewhere and operate in all weather and environments. No sense having it, if the projects can not be funded because of support costs.

Nice claim but it misses a lot in the Real World environment of how they actually operate.