Research Summaries

Back Diesel Submarine Support to SOF

Fiscal Year 2019
Division Research & Sponsored Programs
Department NPS Naval Research Program
Investigator(s) Ferrer, Geraldo L.
Veronneau, Simon
Sponsor NPS Naval Research Program (Navy)
Summary Given the limited availability of submarines to support SOF and the potential to save billions of dollars, as well as improve a capability through quiet, shallow-water capable submarines, a review of potential diesel-electric submarine contributions to undersea clandestine insertion is easily justified. Allied nations operate modern diesel-electric submarine- that are typically less expensive and quieter than nuclear submarines. Allied fleets would be good benchmarks to estimate the capabilities that diesel electric submarines could offer the US Navy as a complement to existing nuclear capability.

We will try to address the following questions:
Q1) What are the costs and capabilities of diesel and nuclear submarines for undersea clandestine insertion?
Q2) Would diesel electric submarines positively complement our nuclear submarine fleet, or would it be a redundant force?

To address these questions, we’ll follow this research plan:
1) Acquisition and operations cost of U.S. nuclear submarines will be reviewed and tabulated
2) Acquisition and operations cost of allied national modern diesel electric submarines will be reviewed and tabulated.
3) Review of mission capabilities and constraints of diesel electric submarines operated by allied nations.
4) Compare and contrast operating capabilities and constraints of nuclear and diesel electric submarines.
5) Compile a report and offer courses of action.

Project deliverables will include a project report (all project findings from the performance comparison, including an analysis and conclusions regarding implications for Naval operations) and a formal presentation to the project sponsors (highlighting the key benefits and disadvantages in diesel electric submarines, with conclusions and recommendations)."
Keywords
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal