Weekly Submarine Tidbits and Quote of the Week (31 MAY 16)

Submarine Quote of the Week

"I would submit that a country that has the largest maritime estate in the world, and that has interests well beyond our borders and our continent, should have a tool in its toolbox that can declare exclusive control over a piece of water at a time and place of its choosing, and that's what a submarine gives you."  - Vice-Admiral Mark Norman,  Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)  source

Submarine curiousities new to the public's attention  ...

(1)

Report: China Will Send Submarines Armed with Nuclear Missiles to the Pacific
Last week, The Guardian reported how China revealed its plans on releasing an underwater vessel that carries nuclear-powered missiles in the Pacific Ocean.

While The Guardian appears to be convinced that China could really deploy an underwater vessel with a weapon of mass destruction, there are still some who see it to be far from possible, saying that the country's submarine capabilities have been grossly exaggerated.

"It seems that various news media reports and official statements continue to exaggerate or preempt the operational capability of the Chinese submarine force," the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) said in a report.  source 

 (2)

Background:  ILLEGAL RETENTION OF CLASSIFIED NUCLEAR SYSTEMS PHOTOS from USS Alexandria (SSN-757) by nuc Machinest Mate ex-submariner (later a First Class Petty Officer assigned to the Naval Support Activity Base in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)

UPDATE:  Navy sailor pleads guilty to espionage for submarine photos 
The 29-year-old petty officer first class, Kristian Saucier, admitted to taking cellphone photos of instruments and equipment within the submarine on three separate occasions in 2009, the Justice Department announced. ...Sentencing is scheduled for August. Saucier faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

Will this delayed case be compared to the FBI's investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s alleged mishandling of highly classified information during her time in office as some have suggested?  Unlikely, in M.E.'s opinion.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Answers to Sub Mystery Questions from 10 OCT 2014

Background information, links and illustrations for questions is found at original posting here.

 ANSWERS - Sub Mystery Q.O.T.W.

1 - Identify INS Tanin's German type and nearest (public) class number. ANS:  The air-independent propulsion (AIP) equipped Tanin is similar to Type 212 German Navy subs in underwater endurance.

2 - What is unusual about INS Tanin's size? ANS: The three Dolphin 2 AIP subs are 12 metres longer with a crew capacity exceeds both Type 212 and Type 214.

3 - What two security precautions are evident in the video?  ANS: Faces are blurred or not shown in the video; and below deck scenes are darkened and/or rigged for red.

4 - Have we ever seen those precautions utilized in connection with publicly-released videos of U.S.  subs? ANS: Yes!  Operational sub examples:  darkened and red rigged (below):
 
5 - What is disconcerting about the captions in some video scenes (HINT:  Not language).  ANS: The juxtoposition of Navy uniforms with Army titles.  Example: "Major General Ram Rothberg" in admiral regalia at 0:09 minutes).

6 - What is the exact rank of the presiding admiral?  ANS: "Major General Rothberg is a general ("aluf") in the Israel Defense Forces and head (Vice Admiral) of Israel's  Navy.

7 - What is the rank of the "Submarine Project Commander"?
ANS:  Colonel (see the back of "Colonel A, Commander of the AIP Dolphin Submarine Project" at 0:42 minutes).

8 - What is the customary rank of a U.S. SSN COs currently? ANS: CDR (O-5).

9 - What was the customary rank of a U.S. SSN COs when SSNs carried nuclear weps (during Cold War)? ANS:  CDR (O-5).

10 - What has been the customary rank of U.S. SSBN COs that have traditionally carried nuclear weps?  ANS: CAPT (O-6)

11 - What is a major diiferent between IDF and U.S. officer rank insgnia? ANS: IDF NAVY officer insignia are all gold versus silver or gold for U.S. officers (all branches) and other IDF branches.  (reference).

12 - What IDF naval rank insignia most resembles a U.S. commander's?  ANS: Lt. Colonel.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Submarine Questions of the Week - 10 OCT 14

Background (color emphasis added)

"... Under normal circumstances, a force of six modern diesel-electric submarines would represent a large, but not outlandish, undersea commitment on the part of a country of Israel’s size and wealth. But the Dolphins apparently play a much larger role in Israel’s self-defense plans; reports indicate that they will carry a portion of Israel’s nuclear deterrent, in the form of nuclear-armed, submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs)." source: National interest.org

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To understand today's sub questions, most readers are advised to watch the one-minute video about INS Tanin "As the submarine sets sail,".


Submarine Questions of the Week

1 - Identify INS Tanin's German type and nearest (public) class number.

2 - What is unusual about INS Tanin's size?

3 - What two security precautions are evident in the video?

4 - Have we ever seen those precautions utilized in connection with publicly-released videos of U.S.  subs?

5 - What is disconcerting about the captions in some video scenes (HINT:  Not language).

6 - What is the exact rank of the presiding admiral?

7 - What is the rank of the "Submarine Project Commander"?

8 - What is the customary rank of U.S. SSN COs currently?

9 - What was the customary rank of a U.S. SSN COs when SSNs carried nuclear weps (during Cold War)?

10 - What has been the customary rank of U.S. SSBN COs that have traditionally carried nuclear weps?

11 - What is a major diiferent betwwen IDF and U.S. officer rank insgnia?

12 - What IDF naval rank insignia most resembles a U.S. commander's?

ANSWERS:  Wednesday, 15 October. 

Submarines are alwats silent and strange.