Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Sub communications Message-ID: <15507@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 12 Apr 90 00:56:15 GMT References: <15387@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: The Mitre Corporation Lines: 30 Approved: military@att.att.com From: carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson) In article <15387@cbnews.ATT.COM> ames!ames!claris!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm@uunet.UU.NET writes: > > >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 remember reading of current submarine comm, they have at least two capabilities (maybe more). They can tow an ELF antenna and receive communications while under the water. If they want to transmit they use some type of recording medium, a burst transmitter, and a buoy that is floated to the surface. The transmission is initiated by a timer, so when the buoy/radio transmits the sub is already out of the area. I don't think they have any significant amount of "interactive" communications in real time. I don't remember where I read the above info, so take it with a grain of salt. Bruce Carlson