Submarine New Mexico launched (photo)

[u-5075]

Submarine New Mexico launched

http://www.dailypress.com/business/dp-b ... 5104.story

Short article........
The photo is worth a look-see.

[robert]

I wonder what the disk

I wonder what the disk shaped bump under the nose is?

[wlambing]

It's a chin mount sonar

It's a chin mount sonar array.

B^)

[robert]

Why is it underneath? I

Why is it underneath? I never really thought about it, but I figured sonar would be 360... Is it for following terrain, i.e. look down?

[bharris]

It is underneath because it

It is underneath because it is quiter down there and that's where the action is and they did not want the "bump" on top.
It is not for following terrain, it does some have depression capability.
The "disk shaped bump" is there because you cannot put 10lbs of s#*t in a 9lb bag. The Virginia class has the same sonar arrays squeezed into the bow as the Seawolf class has but due to the fact the seawolf is larger in diameter it just won't fit.
The arrays shown in the picture from the Seneca Lake acoustic test facility point out the problem. The arrays are the passive conformal, passive spherical and the truncated/hemispherical active array on the bottom.
Any explanation passed this point comes under the class of NONE-YA
Hope this clears up all the guessing I often see on the "bump".
Bob.

[raalst]

what do you mean with

what do you mean with

Any explanation passed this point comes under the class of NONE-YA

Nice picture of the bow btw.

[boss subfixer]

Ron,
He means as far as

Ron,
He means as far as the U.S. government is concerned it's "NON-YA BUSINESS" or classified.