The U.S. plans periodic nuclear submarine deployments to South Korea in response to the North’s escalating nuclear threat. The U.S. also agreed April 26 to involve the South in its nuclear planning operations in return for a commitment that it would not develop its own nuclear weapons. [node:read-more:link]
In a development China says is walking Australia, Britain and the U.S. “further down the path of error and danger”, the three western allies unveiled details March 14 of their plan for a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines to counter China’s growing Indo-Pacific influence. U.S. President Joe Biden said the British-designed boats, to be based in Australia in the 2030s, will not carry nuclear weapons. [node:read-more:link]
Chinese monitoring buoys in the Arctic, located and retrieved by the Canadian Armed Forces, adds to a list of pressing concerns about Beijing’s interventions in Canadian affairs. The buoys were spotted during Operation Limpid, an ongoing effort to provide early detection of potential security threats. [node:read-more:link]
Despite Russia’s commitment of apparently dwindling resources to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s Northern Fleet’s ballistic missile submarine and strategic bomber capabilities remain intact, according to a report this week from the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington. its authors note that the Arctic remains “of great strategic value”, especially the Kola Peninsula as a gateway for attack and ballistic missile submarines to reach the Atlantic. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. Navy is suspending submarine repairs at four dry docks in Washington state due to concerns about their possible vulnerability to seismic activity. Stressing that there is “no immediate risk,” the USN says the decision enables a team of experts to assess three drydocks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard drydocks in Bremerton and one at the Trident Refit Facility in nearby Bangor. [node:read-more:link]
A nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine’s dockside appearance at the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia in late October was a rare event for the U.S. Navy and was made public only this week. The significance of publicizing the event, which included a crew change, is described by the USN as a message to potential adversaries as well as allies that the “undetectable” boats “can operate in any ocean for an extended period.” [node:read-more:link]
Allegations of bullying and sexual harassment against women in Royal Navy submarines are being investigated. Calling the claims “abhorrent,” the First Sea Lord, Adm Sir Ben Key, says “sexual harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated” and “anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable.” [node:read-more:link]
The Russian Navy has taken delivery of what is understood to be the world's longest submarine, measuring more than 184m compared with the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class missile subs which come in at 171m. The Belgorod, a modified Oscar II-class missile boat, is billed as a research vessel but analysts say it could be used for offensive purposes. [node:read-more:link]
The Royal Canadian Navy is on the hunt for new torpedo countermeasures technology as part of a plan to keep its four ex-British submarines operational for at least another decade. Advances in sonar technology and guidance systems have made anti-submarine torpedoes more effective at overcoming the kind of launchable decoys currently on the RCN boats. [node:read-more:link]
It has been almost a year since Australia cancelled its diesel submarine contract with the French Naval Group, preparing to instead acquire nuclear powered attack submarines. The most significant aspect of that decision is that Australia had taken a path that has been quietly evolving for some time, launching its next phase of strategic development. [node:read-more:link]
An unmanned eight-tonne submarine developed by a Boeing-led team could be used by the U.S. Navy for covert mine-laying missions. The USN has awarded $72.5 million contract for a prototype of the Orca, based on a smaller Echo Voyager design already in production under a contract signed in February 2019. [node:read-more:link]
A U.S. naval engineer and his wife pleaded guilty to espionage charges last month after an undercover operation confirmed that they had tried to sell secret information on nuclear submarine reactor technology to a foreign power. Text messages released in court show that Jonathan and Diana Tebbe, who face prison terms, offered the classified material to Brazil’s military intelligence agency in 2020 rather than to China or Russia. The agency handed over their letter to the FBI. [node:read-more:link]
Four months after he and his wife were charged with trying to sell classified information about nuclear submarines, a U.S. Navy engineer pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to one felony count in a plea deal which leaves him facing up to 18 years in prison. His wife, who also remains in custody, has pleaded no guilty even though she accompanied him to dead drops. [node:read-more:link]
A metallurgist in Washington state was sentenced Feb. 14 to 30 months in prison and fined $50,000 for faking the results of strength tests on steel used by two companies to build U.S. Navy submarines for more than three decades. Elaine Marie Thomas, 67, had pleaded pleaded guilty last November to what the judge said was a “crime of pride and ego, that in some way she knew better than those who set the standards.” [node:read-more:link]
Three diesel-electric submarines are to be built by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp for Israel at a cost of €3 billion. The Israeli defence ministry confirmed the contract Jan. 20, saying that delivery is expected within nine years. [node:read-more:link]
