How is a submarine like a honey bee?

[gp100man]

I don't know if it's true or not, but I've always heard that when a bee stings you, he gives up his life and goes off and dies.
I wonder, first you had SLBM's, then Tomahawk cruise missles, and now SEA LAUNCHED DRONE AIRCRAFT.

I wonder, are the world's navies going down the wrong path in the sense that like the bee, you launch your weapons(WHICH MAKES NOISE-WHICH CAUSES YOU TO LOOSE YOUR STEALTH).
After you launch either SLBM's, Cruise, or now Drones, is the primary submarine going to be destroyed due to giving her position away????

I hope not.


http://www.theengineer.co.uk/aerospace/ ... 38.article

[JWLaRue]

Re: How is a submarine like a honey bee?

You're assuming two things, which I would argue are likely to be incorrect:

• a) the drone's launch (into the air) occurs immediately after the torpedo carrier leaves the sub and reaches the surface, and
  b) the sub hangs around the area of the launch.

-Jeff

[thor]

Re: How is a submarine like a honey bee?

I was involved in the early 2000s with the design of a submarine launched armed drone intended to use the converted Ohio SSBNs to SSGNs as a launch and retrieval platform. First, the drone is retrieved after mission completion by the submarine in the case of the project that I worked on. It is NOT retrieved on the surface, nor does it return to its launch location. The drone lies dormant for a period of time until it is time for its mission to begin, or the target is nearby, and detected, at which point the drone will self activate and carry out its mission. Stealth and camouflage is still the rule. The sub will be VERY difficult to detect let alone locate during the entire process. When you think of this drone, think Terminator; Rise of the machine. This is one scary machine flying around looking for you. If it finds you........

[gp100man]

Re: How is a submarine like a honey bee?

Gentlemen, Thanks for your reply.
First I am glad to hear that the submarine remains stealthy, as I don't know that much about it. My thoughts were on an interview that I watched on TV (don't remember the show),some years ago where a submarine captain stated that when he launched his Tomahawk cruise missiles, the whole operation was rather LOUD, and he felt vulnerable just after the launch. That statement, if true, made me think that all launches from submarines create a lot of sound. But that was a wrong assumption on my part. And I'm glad to learn that the launch of these drones does not leave the submarine open to attack.
Here's ABC news's take on the subject.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2 ... nderwater/

[ssn705]

Re: How is a submarine like a honey bee?

Gentlemen, Thanks for your reply.
First I am glad to hear that the submarine remains stealthy, as I don't know that much about it. My thoughts were on an interview that I watched on TV (don't remember the show),some years ago where a submarine captain stated that when he launched his Tomahawk cruise missiles, the whole operation was rather LOUD, and he felt vulnerable just after the launch.

Don't forget the couple thousand foot tall smoke column from the booster that acts as a "eat here" arrow. It is loud, it is a big visual counter detection issue.

Cheers,

Dave