Underwater Time Traveling by ASW
The Evolution and Innovation of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
I have always been fascinated by submarines and the underwater battles they wage. They are more stealthy and mysterious machines that can strike fear and awe in the hearts of their enemies and allies. But how do navies find and fight these elusive foes? How do they protect their own submarines from being hunted and destroyed?
These kinds of questions have accentuated me for a long time since I started work in Ocean Energy and UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles). Though, the Energy field is absolutely different; I know! But, I learned a lot during my work and explored the underwater world in the next dimension; which I never thought of. So, finally decided to write this article to articulate in front of you; if it can enhance your knowledge in anyways.
Introduction
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is a special branch of naval warfare; which deals with finding, tracking, and attacking enemy submarines and handling other underwater threats as well. Long story short “Underwater Reconnaissance”. I know the term may be a bit new to you. Don’t worry! we will dig down throughout the article.
It is also a vital component of naval security and strategy, as submarines can pose serious threats to surface shipping, coastal facilities, and other naval assets. ASW is a complex and challenging task that requires a combination of sensors, weapons, platforms, tactics, and personnel. It is also a dynamic and evolving field that adapts to the cutting-edge changing technologies and capabilities of submarines, like IIOT(Industrial Internet of Things), AI(Artificial Intelligence), AR/VR(Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality), and so on.
Here we will trace the history of ASW from its origins in the First World War to its current scenario with all challenges and developments.
The First World War: The Birth of ASW
The First World War was the beginning of warfare which enlightened the Underwater as a battle zone; that was the initial point where the Submarine was developed. Submarines emerged as a new threat to surface shipping and naval operations, especially by Germany, which launched a campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare against the Allied powers. This underwater ship could sink ships with torpedoes, lay mines, and disrupt trade and over-the-sea surface supply lines. This opens a new vulnerable door for surface ships, such as the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic.
To counter this threat, the Allies developed various methods and technologies to find and destroy enemy submarines. Some of the main ones were:
- Depth charges: These were explosive devices that were dropped from ships or aircraft into the water near a suspected submarine location. They were set to detonate at a certain depth, creating a shock wave that could damage or sink the submarine. this stuff was a widely used anti-submarine weapon in the war at that time.
- Sonar: This was a device that used sound waves to detect and locate underwater objects. This thing consisted of a transmitter that emitted pulses of sound and a receiver that picked up the echoes. By measuring the time and direction of the echoes to estimate the distance and bearing of the target. Sonar was first used by the British in 1916 and was improved throughout the war.
- Mines: These were explosive devices that were laid on the seabed or suspended by cables in the water. They were triggered by contact or magnetic fields from passing submarines. Mines were used to create barriers or minefields in strategic areas, such as harbors, straits, or choke points. Mines were also used by submarines to attack surface ships.
- Q-ships: These were disguised merchant ships that carried hidden guns and torpedoes. They acted as decoys to lure submarines into attacking them, then revealed their weapons and fired back. Q-ships were used by both sides, but mainly by the British. They had some success, but also suffered heavy losses.
- Convoys: This was a system of grouping merchant ships together and escorting them with warships. Convoys reduced the chances of individual ships being attacked by submarines and increased the protection and firepower of the group. Convoys were introduced by the British in 1917 and proved to be a decisive tactic in defeating the submarine menace.
- Cryptanalysis: This was the science of breaking codes and ciphers used by enemy communications. Cryptanalysis enabled the Allies to intercept and decipher German radio messages, including those sent by submarines. This gave them valuable information on submarine movements, operations, and intentions. Cryptanalysis also helped them crack the German naval codebook and the Enigma machine.
These methods and technologies influenced and shaped the outcome of the war, as they affected the naval balance of power and the economic situation.
The First World War marked the beginning of ASW as a distinct branch of naval warfare. It also demonstrated the potential and challenges of submarines and their countermeasures. It set the stage for further developments and innovations in ASW in later wars.
The Second World War: The Peak of ASW
The Second World War was the peak of submarine warfare and ASW, as both sides deployed large and advanced submarine fleets to achieve their strategic goals. Submarines became more lethal and versatile, capable of operating in different theatres and roles, such as commerce raiding, blockade running, reconnaissance, minelaying, and special operations. Submarines also posed a major challenge to the Allied supply lines and naval dominance, especially in the Battle of the Atlantic, where German U-boats threatened to starve Britain into submission.
To counter this challenge, the Allies improved and innovated their ASW methods and technologies, some of the main ones were:
- Radar: This was a radio device; which was used to detect and locate objects in the air or on the surface. It was used by ships and aircraft to spot submarines on or near the surface, especially at night or in bad weather. Radar was also used to guide ASW aircraft to their targets and coordinate their attacks. Radar was a crucial advantage for the Allies, as it gave them early warning and increased accuracy.
- Forward-throwing weapons: These were weapons that were launched from ships or aircraft towards the front of a submarine, rather than dropping them behind it. They were designed to increase the chances of hitting a submarine that was trying to evade depth charges by moving forward. Examples of forward-throwing weapons were Hedgehogs and Squid, which fired spigot mortars or rockets with contact fuses.
- Homing torpedoes: These were torpedoes that could steer themselves toward a target by following its acoustic or magnetic signature. They were used by both submarines and aircraft to attack enemy submarines. Examples of homing torpedoes were FIDO (Mk 24 ‘mine’), which was an air-dropped acoustic torpedo, and G7es (T5 ‘Zaunkönig’), which was a German submarine-launched acoustic torpedo.
- Torpedo countermeasures: These were devices or techniques that were used to deceive or divert enemy torpedoes. These techniques are used by both Ships and Submarines to decoy torpedo threats. Examples of torpedo countermeasures were Foxer, which was an acoustic decoy towed by ships to lure away homing torpedoes, and evasive maneuvers, such as zigzagging or turning towards the torpedo.
- Escort carriers: These were small aircraft carriers that were converted from merchant ships or built from scratch. They were used to provide air cover and ASW support for convoys and amphibious operations. They carried fighters, bombers, and patrol planes that could detect, track, and attack enemy submarines with bombs, depth charges, rockets, or torpedoes. Escort carriers greatly increased the range and effectiveness of ASW aircraft.
- Intelligence: This was the collection and analysis of information on enemy activities, plans, and intentions. Intelligence played a vital role in ASW, as it enabled the Allies to locate and intercept enemy submarines and avoid their attacks. Intelligence sources included codebreaking (such as Ultra), radio direction finding (such as Huff-Duff), communication intercepts (such as Y-stations), espionage (such as Double Cross), and captured documents or equipment (such as Enigma)
The Cold War: The Rise of Nuclear Submarines
In this era, Nuclear submarines, changed the nature and dynamics of ASW, making it more difficult and complex for both sides. Nuclear submarines were powered by nuclear reactors, which gave them unprecedented speed, stealth, endurance, range, and firepower and could able operate for months without surfacing or refueling and carry nuclear weapons that could strike targets on land or at sea. They were deployed for various missions, including intelligence gathering, special operations, and anti-ship warfare as well.
To counter this threat, the US and the Soviet Union adopted different approaches and strategies to ASW, some of the main ones were:
- Passive sonar: This was a device that used hydrophones to listen for sounds emitted by submarines, such as propeller noise, machinery vibration, or sonar pings. It was used by ships and submarines to detect and track enemy submarines without revealing their own position. Passive sonar was preferred by the US Navy, as it relied on the superior acoustic signature of Soviet submarines.
- Active sonar: This was a device that used a projector to emit pulses of sound and a receiver to pick up the echoes. It was used by ships and submarines to locate and identify enemy submarines by measuring the time and direction of the echoes. Active sonar was preferred by the Soviet Navy, as it relied on the superior power and range of Soviet sonars.
- SOSUS: This was a system of underwater listening stations that were deployed by the US Navy along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They used arrays of hydrophones to monitor the acoustic activity of Soviet submarines, especially those carrying ballistic missiles. SOSUS was a key advantage for the US Navy, as it gave them an early warning and accurate tracking of Soviet submarine movements.
- SSBNs: These were nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines that carried intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. They were used by both sides to deter nuclear war by providing a secure second-strike capability. SSBNs were the most important and protected assets of both navies, as they could launch a devastating retaliation in case of a nuclear attack. SSBNs were also the primary targets of ASW forces.
- MAD: This was a device that used a magnetometer to detect the magnetic anomalies caused by submarines in the Earth’s magnetic field. It was used by aircraft to confirm and pinpoint the location of submerged submarines before attacking them with weapons. MAD was a useful supplement to other sensors, such as radar or sonobuoys.
- SLCMs: These were submarine-launched cruise missiles that could carry conventional or nuclear warheads; which were used by both sides to attack targets on land or at sea with high accuracy and low vulnerability. SLCMs are quite versatile and flexible weapons that could be used for various purposes, such as strategic strikes, tactical support, or anti-ship warfare.
The Cold War marked the rise of nuclear submarines as a dominant factor in naval warfare and ASW. But, this era also incorporates modern cutting-edge techs to make Underwater vehicles more and more stealthy.
The Present and Future: The Challenges and Opportunities of ASW
The Present and Future: The Challenges and Opportunities of ASW
The present and future of ASW are marked by various trends and issues that affect the submarine threat and the countermeasures against it. This underwater vehicle is transforming more and more diverse and sophisticated, as more countries acquire or modernize their submarine fleets, and as new technologies enable submarines to be more stealthy, fast, agile, and lethal, by acquiring the capabilities to perform multi-role missions.
To counter this threat, the ASW forces need to adapt and innovate their methods and technologies, some of the potential solutions that have been developed in the last few decades are:
- Multilateral cooperation: This involves the coordination and collaboration of ASW forces from different countries or regions, to share information, resources, and capabilities. This will enhance the situational awareness, coverage, and effectiveness of ASW operations, especially in areas where the submarine threat is high or where the ASW forces are limited. Beneficial in both ways.
- Intelligence sharing: This involves the exchange of information on submarine activities, plans, and intentions among ASW forces or other sources. Intelligence sharing can improve the detection and tracking of submarines, and enable ASW forces to anticipate and prevent submarine attacks or movements, examples are: Intelligence sources can include signals intelligence (SIGINT), imagery intelligence (IMINT), human intelligence (HUMINT), or open-source intelligence (OSINT).
- Unmanned systems: Making Vehicles more and more autonomous gave ASW new strength; everywhere on land, on the sea surface, and under the water, which stretched the range of tasks, such as surveillance, reconnaissance, communication, deception, or attack, by reducing the risk of human operators, and provide novel capabilities, examples: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), or Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
- Artificial intelligence: This branch of computer science enables machines to perform tasks with lesser or no human interaction. It can be used to enhance various aspects of ASW operations, such as data processing, sensor fusion, threat assessment, target identification, and weapon guidance. AI has increased the speed and accuracy of ASW operations, by reducing the workload in terms of the cognitive bias of human operators and enabling unbiased decision-making in critical situations; which is getting more rational day by day.
- Cyber warfare: Cyber warfare has degraded the performance and reliability of submarines or ASW forces, expose their location and intention, or cause them to malfunction or misfire.
- New weaponry involution: Modern weaponization includes cutting-edge techs such as lasers, railguns, electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), super cavitating torpedoes, directed-energy weapons (DEWs), hypersonic weapons, and so on. Modern weapons are focusing more on accuracy, penetration, and stealth model operations.
Some possible key takeaways from this article are:
- ASW is a branch of naval warfare that involves various methods and technologies to find, track, and attack enemy submarines.
- ASW has a long and rich history; which spans from the First World War to the present and future possibilities.
- ASW has transformed naval wars to the next level and eventually balanced of power among nations.
- ASW faces various challenges and opportunities in the modern world, as Underwater warfare becomes more diverse and sophisticated, and as new technologies enable new solutions and responses.
Play to learn in the Virtual world:
NTI(Nuclear Threat Initiative) has a very nice platform for further learning and understanding more depth of ASW based on the evolution of every country using virtual touch and 3D. I have attached the link below for your further learning.
Click here.
