AIP.

This is coolbert:

It seems that a blast from the past is making a comeback in a big way.

The non-nuclear submarine.

For the first fifty or so years of the existence of the submarine, the diesel/electric powered vessel was THE ONLY GAME in town. A submersible vessel that, however, still was wedded to the surface and having the necessity to "breathe air" from time to time.

[the diesel/electric sub operated on the surface with a conventional diesel engine, and underwater was powered by an electric motor using a large bank of batteries as a power source. Subs HAD to surface from time to time to run the air-breathing diesel engines and recharge the bank of batteries.]

From the mid 1950's till present, the advent of nuclear propulsion seemed to be the death knell for the diesel/electric power submersible.

Nuclear propulsion advantages were just seen to be SO great, that the U.S. Navy, for instance, DID AWAY with all it's diesel/electric powered boats altogether, opting to go totally nuclear for propulsion.

[It was only in the last decade that the U.S. Navy DID refurbish a diesel/electric boat to be used in special operations mission. This due to the quietness of such vessels.]

The advantages of being able to build [nuclear] a bigger boat, with bigger power plant, allowing for greater speed, depth of operation, total freedom from needing to "breathe air", etc., these advantages seemed to SO outweigh any other consideration that one would wonder WHY anyone would EVER build diesel/electric submersibles again!!

Certain nations and navies DID continue to build diesel/electric boats. Germany and Sweden for example. These vessels were designed as coastal huggers, for defensive purposes. NOT as pelagic [deep water] vessels with offensive capability.

[expense of course is a major consideration in building a nuclear propelled submersible. Very expensive to just build one!! And disposal of power plant material is also costly and dangerous and difficult. Almost all nations of the world except for say the U.S. and the Soviet Union COULD NOT afford nuclear powered subs.]

Recent technological developments seem to suggest that the diesel/electric submarine is NOW going to enjoy a renaissance. A renaissance that may very well be under way in a big way.

A renaissance that could very well pose a serious threat for the U.S. Navy.

This technological development is in the area of air-independent-propulsion [AIP].

A whole host of AIP systems that were previously "experimental only" have now been developed to fruition and ARE being used in the latest versions of conventional [non-nuclear propulsion] submarines. Click here, here and here to see descriptions of these AIP systems. This is amazing stuff!!




Submarines using the AIP systems are a growth industry. And for good reason. A sub using AIP now does NOT have to "breathe air". Is IN the same league as a nuclear powered sub. Can be made cheaper, smaller, with as great an abundance of firepower as a nuclear "boomer". DO NOT have a whole lot less capability than a nuclear powered vessel! Indeed, are perhaps a LOT less quieter than a "boomer" and are a LOT harder to detect. Less vulnerable by magnitudes that were their diesel/electric predecessors.

These AIP subs are the future of underwater warfare. And ARE a definite threat to the U.S. Navy and it's fleet of "boomers".

coolbert.