Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (Random Dude)) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Sub communications Message-ID: <15458@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 11 Apr 90 03:17:08 GMT References: <15387@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: UCLA Lines: 38 Approved: military@att.att.com From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (Random Dude)) >From: >Why would it be hard to communicate with a submerged submarine? You could >run a buoy to the surface on a fiber optic cable, and a transceiver could >communicate with a satellite. When you're done, the buoy could be reeled in >as it's air was let out. > >Obviously, such things are secret activities, so the Navy wouldn't advertise >them. Especially if the sub communication myth needed to be preserved to >support building a big ELF transmitter. But it's hard to believe that SOME >kind of technology for communicating with submerged submarines doesn't exist. >From what I have read in the open press, it's not really much of a secret. Many subs do have the system you mention. The sub comes up near the surface and reels out this antennae that trails on the surface. But, the whole idea about subs is they want to be stealthy, so they don't want to be struck near the surface or restricted in their maneuvers any more than they have to be. Even if they could talk all the time, they would probably only listen as to not give away their position. BTW, the ELF has such low bandwidth about all they can say is "Get into position to recieve the real message via radio". Another system carried by some subs is to release a bouy which plays a recorded message after a time delay (so the sub does not give away it's position). Finally, the USN is working on some type of blue-green laser system. The hope is subs could talk submerged at reasonable depth with high bandwidth. -ted Ted Kim UCLA Computer Science Department Internet: tek@penzance.cs.ucla.edu 3804C Boelter Hall UUCP: ...!{uunet|ucbvax}!cs.ucla.edu!tek Los Angeles, CA 90024 Phone: (213) 206-8696