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From: david@randvax.ARPA (David Shlapak)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: USN Carrier collides with Russian sub
Message-ID: <1758@randvax.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 26-Mar-84 21:25:47 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.1758
Posted: Mon Mar 26 21:25:47 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Mar-84 08:59:52 EST
References: <303@hogpd.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 19


    My understanding of the incident is that the carrier's escort vessels
    had in fact been tracking a sub, but they broke contact when the task
    force was ordered to change course.  Once the Soviet sub got inside the
    group of American ships,
    ambient noise would have pretty completely "deafened" U.S. sonar
    to the sounds of the sub (the idea of ASW is to get them BEFORE they
    penetrate the cordon of escorts).  The same sort of masking would
    have degraded the sub's capabilities.  In addition, the stories I've
    seen indicate that the collision involved the stern of the sub, where
    sonar resolution is NEVER good 'cause of the sub's own engine noise.

    In other words, it was a lousy accident not reflecting either good or
    bad on the technology or techniques of either victim.  Just glad
    nobody (apparently) was hurt.

    Cheers.

							--- das