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Spy operations boost for USN submarines
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31/05/00
Spy
operations boost for USN submarines BRYAN BENDER JDW Bureau Chief
Washington DC
The US Navy (USN) will upgrade its submarine fleet with new intelligence-gathering systems to help the boats fulfil their increasing surveillance and reconnaissance role in littoral operations, according to USN director of submarine warfare Rear Adm Malcolm Fages.
A recent Joint Chiefs of Staff study concluded
that the current high operating tempo will require 68 submarines by 2015,
a dramatic reversal from a planned reduction to 50. It also found that most
of the rising deployments are for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR) missions. "Of the mission requirements for submarines, far and away the most significant mission area is intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance," Rear Adm Fages told Jane's Defence Weekly.
As a result, beginning in its Fiscal Year 2002 (FY02) budget next year, the service will put greater emphasis on outfitting its existing fleet with enhanced capabilities for the detection and collection of intelligence.
"We have refocused our investment on the kinds of improvements that will enhance ISR; improved capabilities for visual intelligence, electronic intelligence and acoustic intelligence. The types of systems we're putting in place to meet that will be reflected in the FY02 budget," Rear Adm Fages said.
The navy believes the insertion of new digital technologies, antennas with greater sensitivity and intelligence collection systems can provide dramatic improvements. "As a result of a number of internal studies, we have concluded that if we can focus our investment in certain unique areas in the ISR realm we could gain significant capabilities," Adm Fages said.
The navy's limited funds for modernising the fleet currently focus on improving sonar systems. "Of the modest discretionary funds that we have for modernisation, we have focused those on acoustic superiority, basically improvements to our sonar systems, [but there will be] refocus to put the additional marginal dollar against ISR," according to Adm Fages.
The navy believes one promising way to outfit the fleet with improved intelligence-gathering capabilities is to utilise unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs).
The Boeing-developed Long-range Mine Reconnaissance System, to enter the fleet in 2003, is considered the first step toward developing a reconfigurable UUV that can be outfitted with different payloads. These include remotely piloted submersibles that can release masts or antennas to gather intelligence, track and trail enemy submarines and serve as key nodes in a future undersea integrated sensor network.
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USS
Los Angeles-class Key West (SSN 722). The most significant
mission requirements for submarines are intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance, a role to be emphasised under upgrade plans (Source: US Navy) |