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From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Pods on the tail of USSR SSN
Message-ID: <1991Apr4.042828.13611@amd.com>
Date: 3 Apr 91 17:28:56 GMT
References: <1991Apr3.024755.24304@amd.com>
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Organization: UCLA
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From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim)

arthur@Eng.Sun.COM (Arthur Leung) writes:
> If this is the pod at the top of the fin seen on the stern of
> surfaced Soviet submarines, I believe the volume is too small to
> house your average towed array. A towed array sonar is pretty large
> in diameter. It won't get much of a length in that small space. The
> towed array housing on Los Angeles class boats looks to be about 1'
> tube running a good portion of the length of the boat. Might this
> Soviet pod be used as a housing and reel for VLF antenna? It would
> fit better.  

In the "Soviet Navy" column of April 1991 USNI Proceedings, Norman
Polomar and LtCmdr Jurrien Noot (Royal Netherlands Navy) mention the
tear-drop shaped pod on the Victor III (which is about 29.5 feet long
and almost 8 feet at its widest point).

Their opinion is that it is most likely a housing for a THIN-LINE
towed array sonar. They mention a variety of alternative
possibilities: towed communications cable, torpedo decoy system,
auxiliary high-speed burst propulsion, auxiliary low-speed creep
propulsion. They believe any theories about MHD or EMT auxiliary
propulsion systems are not likely because of the high power
consumption necessary and because there is no opening on the front of
the pod for water intake. Also, they note the high position makes it
vulnerable to ice damage.  

--
Ted Kim                           Internet: tek@penzance.cs.ucla.edu
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