Foreign Sub Comparison

[CaseEEStud]

Does anybody have information on how foreign subs stack up to our subs? I did some reading on other subs, but I would like to get some perspective some of you experienced people.

[Gamecock]

Talking about how our subs compare to foreign subs is not something that should be done in this forum.

Regards,
GC

[withroaj]

Would it suffice to say that we have a dominant submarine fleet?  Our boats are quick, quiet, and have good weapons delivery capabilities and sonar systems.  We can go where we need to and get the job done when it comes down to it.

[CaseEEStud]

I was looking more for generalizations about foreign countries, and less on specific information about our subs. I read a little about how the Russian program is on the verge of nonexistence, with very few patrols run in previous years. Are other programs competitve, behind, a joke? What is the general consensus out there.
If this is still inappropriate discussion, I will understand.

[Marlin]

The Russian is fleet is severely reduced but they have been gaining ground every year in parity with US designs. The US at this time has a higher ratio of "enemy" subs to our fleet size than ever before not because of Russia but the emergence of sub fleets around the world. Most foreign fleets are dated and substandard compared to our boats with the exception of the new Air Independent Propulsion boats such as the German Type 212 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_212_submarine ). The Germans claim that the 212 is the quietest sub in the world. US submarine design has morphed from a blue water Navy in my day to one with greater litoral capabilities (brown water or shallow water) today. We have increased the number of roles our submarines can perform by design not as an after thought as we did in the past. The Australians have a new very capable submarine that performed well against our boats in exercises about a year or two ago. These boats have a few bugs in them that the Aussies are shaking out. The Chinese do not appear to have a very capable sub fleet yet but they still managed to embarrass a US carrier force about a year ago by surfacing within weapons range.

[CaseEEStud]

Thanks for the post Marlin, that's what I was looking for.

[Marlin]

No problem, glad I could help. There is much more transparency today than when I was in, but you will still not hear much in the way of specific operations or capability. We do not speak about ops or capability even in SubVet BBS's or SubVet meetings where all of us are ex bubbleheads. With a decreasing fleet there is a tendency for the Navy to release more information than in the past probably because they have to fight for funding.

Marlin Helms
United States Submarine Veterans
Smoky Mountain Submarine Veterans
Base Commander

[Fermi2]

Hey Marssim Do you guys drink beer at your meetings?

[Marlin]

Hey Marssim Do you guys drink beer at your meetings?

I assume you meant me, and yes we have our monthly meeting at a restauraunt in a reserved room. The SubVet base in Groton is big enough to have its own club with a bar.