Red Dawn times 2 in Gulf of Mexico

[COL Jagdog]

Seems that a Russian Navy Akula II class submarine (Russia's
quietest sub, close to US "Los Angeles"/"Dallas" class subs in low sound signature) has spent the last two months undetected in the Gulf of Mexico while on a patrol cruise,
only the second time that Akula's have prowled the US coast
(two Akula's patrolled the US East Coast in 2009) -- apparently, we figured out it was there about the time it was about to transit out of the Gulf. This comes on the heels of a Russian Navy nuclear-powered frigate and auxiliary vessels cruising thru the Caribbean this summer. On 4 July 2012, a Russian Badger H bomber crossed into US airspace off the coast of California, prompting the scramble of US fighters -
it has been many years since Russia has sent a bomber to test US air defense response. Many see this as Putin flexing his muscles and trying to define a position that Russia is still a world power to be reckoned with.

It has been known for years that the listening arrays/sub detection arrays the West has had in place in the Atlantic and Pacific were very important in detecting Russian sub forays
from their bases near Murmansk and on Russia's Pacific coast -- we have no known/reported sub detection arrays covering avenues into the Gulf of Mexico -- significant since the Russians are open in their support of Venezuela's Chavez.
The US is behind schedule on deployment of new P-8 Posiedon ASW aircraft (replacements for the venerable P-3 Orion) -- I read somewhere that 8 P-8's were recently cut due to defense budget cuts under the current administration.

The importance of this (after the Cuban Missile crisis -- read
"Eyeball to Eyeball" or other books to see how close we came to a real nuclear war with Russia) is that it would apear that Russia can get an attack sub undetected into the Gulf of Mexico -- Akula's have 8 torpedo tubes internally (they can carry up to 48 torpedoes or anti-ship mines) plus 6 external torpedo tubes capable of carrying Tsakva "Starfish" (SS-15) anti-sub torpedoes (making them a menace to our attack and missile subs). Considering the number of tankers carrying oil to Gulf oil refineries in Lake Charles, Port Arthur, Houston, Corpus Christi (we have 3-6 tankers arriving a week in Lake Charles alone to supply Cities Service and Conoco-Phillips),
an Akula could shut down the Gulf to commercial oil traffic(think of the implications if for example the Israelis hit Iran
in the next 3 months and oil flow is interruppted) -- plus, the Akula's can carry various cruise missiles (some variants are nuclear-weapon capable) that can hit any target in North America -- it can carry and fire SS-16 "Stallion", SS-21 ""Sampson" and SS-22 cruise missiles -- making them a very potent threat if submerged in the Gulf. Akulas can make 35 knots submerged and reportedly can submerge to depths of
450 meters (about 1400 ft) because of their improved double hull.

Also announced today, was another "Red Dawn" invasion, millions of Crazy Rasberry Ants invaded Port Allen, a port area right across the river from Baton Rouge -- Crazy Rasberry Ants (a genus named for the exterminator who first indentified them in the US) are a cousin to the Caribbean Crazy Ant, so-named because they scurry around with no apparent vector of travel in mind -- (genus: Nylanderia pubens) -- the ants first were discovered in Houston a few years and it was estimated it would take them 70 years to reach New Orleans (rate of expansion at 800 meters a year) -- evidently, they must know how to hitchhike because they have made 2/3 of the distance from Houston to New Orleans in a couple of years. They are difficult to kill and they are attracted to electrical equipment/electronic equipment (they like heat and it is thought magnetic fields may attract them0 -- they are notorious for shorting out expensive electrical junctions and have destroyed computers and electrical relays (chewing thru insulation).
Port Allen officials are rushing to take counter-measures against the Crazy Rasberry Ants. No word on whether
they will ask the Akula skipper to make a precise pre-emptive strike on the area in Port Allen where the ants are congregated.

And we currently have 9 West Nile fever deaths in Louisiana.

 

[Faulkner]

Cold War I was always good for the economy, Cold War II could be too.

 

[COL Jagdog]

Addendum:

20% of US oil & gas come in thru Port Fourchon (south of Houma, La)
and is sent thru inter-connected pipelines to southern refineries --
Close to Port Fourchon is the LOOP - Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (the only facility like it in the US) and the only US facility capable of handling VLCC's and ULCC's (Very Large Crude Carriers/Ultra Large Crude Carriers).

 

[Frank46]

Yep, and there is only one road in and out of Port Fouchon. And when the tides comes in the road floods. Remember the stink that was caused when they closed Fouchon due one of the hurricanes a few years ago?. Oil prices shot up. And they still have not fixed the road. Frank

 

[jlrhiner]

The Akulas the Russkies sail around never really bothered me. It's the half dozen or so that are up for sale, (excuse me, "decommissioned").

Now those bother me.

 

[A10]

When I read the story it reminded me of Red October as well.....that's gotta be a darn silent sub! I wonder if we could buy one from the Ruskies and take a look.

Somebody in the intel community had to have a heads up on the construction of a new class of sub.

 

[COL Jagdog]

The Akulas the Russkies sail around never really bothered me. It's the half dozen or so that are up for sale, (excuse me, "decommissioned").



Now those bother me.

The Indian Navy bought two of them -- (they are are reported to have purchased one and are leasing one) -- so, probably no issues there (my guess is that the US has probably already had an inside "look" at their subs). Vietnam (China's nemesis)
is supposedly looking at buying one (they would probably port it at Cam Ranh Bay). Other potential customers might include Indonesia, Singapore -- it takes quite a bit of infrastructure to man and maintain a submarine -- diesel-electrics are easier than nuke powered re maintenance issues. We already track the 6 diesel- electric subs the Iranians have. Because of their own conflicts with Chechins and other Muslim groups, it would be doubtful the Russians would sell an Akula to a jihadi group
(but who knows for sure) -- have not heard anything about Venezeula wanting to buy one.

The Russians are dismantling several of the earlier built Akula's -- critical is the removal and disposal of the nuclear reactors. Several Akula hulls have not been finished and are simply in their respective shipyards sitting on construction stays. Several have been converted (the hulls, while being built) to other sub types.

 

[COL Jagdog]

When I read the story it reminded me of Red October as well.....that's gotta be a darn silent sub! I wonder if we could buy one from the Ruskies and take a look.

Somebody in the intel community had to have a heads up on the construction of a new class of sub.

The Akula's aren't a new class -- the first ones were built in the mid-80's, and I believe that approx 12 to 14 have been built (at least 4 have already been decommissioned) -- they have made improvements along the way -- it is a fast,deep-diving sub and much quieter thatn 1970's era Russian subs --
and a formidable opponent for US Los Angeles class attack subs and our missile subs. The Russians learned quite a bit from the Walker spy ring about how far advanced US sound suppression systems were on US subs and the russians set out to copy and better us on the Akula. It has been reported that the Russians deliberately operate Akula's at sound levels above the level of silence that they can actually achieve -- thus, when we track and record Akula acoustic signatures, the acoustic signatures may actually be deliberately deceptive --
if conflict occurs, the Russians run Akula's in max silent mode
and the theory is, they would "disappear" as we would be looking for Akulas on the basis of previously recorded acoustics -- pretty sneaky when you think of it.

The Russians also got a boost in the early 80's when Toshiba (the Japanese company) and Kongberg (a Norwegian company), illegally sold propellor milling technology to the Russians which allowed them to manufacture much quieter propellors for their subs.

That being said, it has also been reported that the new US
Virginia/Texas class of fast attack subs (the US has built about 10 of this class so far, with more on the way) are quieter than the Akulas -- so, the race continues.

 

[41RF]

Our guys may have been all over that Akula, it would just be smart to let Putin think otherwise....Silent Service ya know.

 

[CW Spook]

Them that really know don't talk, and them that talk don't really know. That said, based on stuff from long ago and far away, I'd be more concerned with the new diesel-electrics than with the Akulas. Part of that concern deals with the operating environment for the non-nuke boats, and with their new owners -- littoral waters that are very challenging from an ASW standpoint; waters that are claimed by nations that are far more likely than Russia to engage in belligerent acts against the USN. Anything else I could say would be pure speculation.

 

[M&P Freak]

I think I'll go top-off the vehicles now.

 

[LVSteve]

Seems the Russians are returning the compliment for NATO keeping such a close eye on the Barents Sea and the Kola Peninsula.

The appears to be some disagreement as to the aircraft type on 4 July. Another source says it was a Bear H.

As for submarine noise, there was a comment some years ago attributed to somebody in the USN who allegedly said that the Seawolf and Virginia classes made about the same noise at 25 knots as an improved Los Angeles did shut down at the dock.

 

[COL Jagdog]

Them that really know don't talk, and them that talk don't really know. That said, based on stuff from long ago and far away, I'd be more concerned with the new diesel-electrics than with the Akulas. Part of that concern deals with the operating environment for the non-nuke boats, and with their new owners -- littoral waters that are very challenging from an ASW standpoint; waters that are claimed by nations that are far more likely than Russia to engage in belligerent acts against the USN. Anything else I could say would be pure speculation.

CW Spook's comments are well-taken -- the new diesel- electrics (considering reported performance specs from Swedish, German and others builders) have made astonishing
technological advances in those subs -- and my guess is that one of the nations "new owners--littoral waters that are very challenging from an ASW standpoint; waters that are claimed by nations that are far more likely than Russia to engage in acts (casus belli) against the USN" would be Iran and/or China (both of which have operational modern diesel-electrics).

While my military experience is Army, we spent a lot of time studying naval capabilities (as it affects all military operations) including naval surface warfare capabilities, carrier operations, submarine capabilities with reference to blue-water, littoral zone and brown water operations as senior military schools (Command and General Staff Colleges/War Colleges) stress the joint operations capabilities of the US armed forces in both tactical and strategic spheres. The history of naval forces has always fascinated me (perhaps I missed my calling) and I have been an avid reader of naval warfare from the Greek-Persian naval battles to modern times. One of my hunting buddies is a retired career attack sub officer -- we have had many interesting late night conversations over good Scotch about the Soviet vs US sub "games" thru the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and I have read all of the pertinent books ("Blind Man's Bluff", etc) about those days. Takes a very special breed of man to be a submariner -- I have great admiration for them.

I have, by the way, encountered a surfaced Russian submarine (while on an offshore fishing trip) at close range (about 300 meters) by accident -- but that is a story for another day.