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How do nuclear submarines stay undetected?
A submarine can “hide” under a layer of cold water where an active hull-mounted sonar (HMS) can’t reach since the sound wave will bounce off the layer up against the surface. For this reason, surface ships have variable depth sonars (VDS) that they can dip below the layers and search.
Do submarines have countermeasures?
The main countermeasure the submarine has is stealth; it tries not to be detected. Against the ASW weapon itself, both active and passive countermeasures are used. The former may be a noise making jammer or a decoy providing a signal that looks like a submarine.
Do modern submarines use sonar?
To locate a target, a submarine uses active and passive SONAR (sound navigation and ranging). Active sonar emits pulses of sound waves that travel through the water, reflect off the target and return to the ship.
What makes nuclear submarines stealthy?
Because nuclear propulsion is independent of air, nuclear submarines have no need to snorkel; when operating on station, they can maintain maximum stealth by staying completely submerged. The nuclear reactor on board a submarine allows it to operate at high speed for long periods of time with unlimited range.
Why do submarines use sonar instead of radar?
The reason is mainly because radar has a harder time penetrating large volumes of water. Also, radar is only an active system allowing for your detection by passive sensors. Whereas sonar can be both passive and active. You can listen to sounds made by other subs’ propulsion without giving away your position.
How does a submarine sonar system work?
A Sonar system, on the other hand, can be both active as well as passive. This means that if a submarine just chooses to listen to sound waves without transmitting any, it can do that, too. In this way, a submarine can detect the presence of other underwater objects without giving its position away.
How do you avoid underwater obstacles without using sonar?
The only way to avoid underwater sea mountains without using active sonar is by relying on charts. Sometimes the chart is wrong, or you get off track, and the results are disastrous. The only way to avoid underwater obstacles without using sonar is to use charts. And hope and pray they are up to date and correct.
How do submarines detect enemy ships?
Enemy warships might have sensors located on their ships that detect the presence of an active Radar transmission unit. A Sonar system, on the other hand, can be both active as well as passive. This means that if a submarine just chooses to listen to sound waves without transmitting any, it can do that, too.
Why don’t submarines always avoid underwater mountains?
Well they don’t always avoid underwater “Hills”, as you call them. They are actually underwater mountains. If a US submarine knows precisely where it is, it will never strike an underwater mountain because the United States Navy has the best, most up to date sea charts of any Navy in the world.