As submarines become quieter and more subtle, we need a variety of methods to protect our naval surface ships, offshore oil assets and coastline. For example, Chinese submarines have been difficult to detect in the past decade. In fact, there was a surprising incident in the middle of the naval war game near the US aircraft carrier, which was said to have not been discovered. The United States and our allies need better detection techniques to overcome this new challenge in order to quickly advance the quiet submarine while maintaining the naval advantage. Perhaps a new discovery may indeed be the answer to this challenge?
You recently saw a group of scientists come up with a new way to detect underwater objects with atomic magnetometers. An article and a video in the physical world explain this; "Atomic magnetometers detect underwater objects", published on April 18, 2018, which states: "A new type of underwater object has been discovered using magnetic fields. Technology" and further:
"These magnetic fields induce current in metal objects and the resulting magnetic echoes are detected by a series of atomic magnetometers. It is very difficult to detect objects in water using electromagnetic radiation because light and other radiation decay rapidly as they pass through the water. This is not a case of sound, which is why sonar is used in "deep water" to detect objects, but at shallow depths, echoes from the seabed may cause sonar to be blind to objects.
So, will this new technology make all foreign military submarines outdated no matter how quiet? Russians, Chinese, and Koreans have quiet submarines. Similarly, our allies now have 20 countries with submarines, and about half of them have one or more of these state-of-the-art silent submarines. For the US and Allied navies, this may be a change in the rules of the game. However, now that the cat is gone, what is it now? Is there a way to prevent our submarine assets from being discovered? Of course, there is more research, patience and years to overcome.
Perhaps it is time to start making our submarines with new materials, and be sure that our AUV [autonomous underwater vehicle] is used for other things. The propulsion system also needs to operate without metal parts - you might even ask? Perhaps by using some material memory propulsion systems and fins like whales or dolphins, and processes that are almost entirely made of composite materials, this feat can be achieved. Considering the light weight of these materials and the challenge of keeping this underwater marine asset completely inundated, it is easier said than done. Please think about it.
Orignal From: Should we use composite materials to create unmanned underwater military assets?
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