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US submarine may have made detectable wakes before South China Sea mishap, study suggests
- Chinese scientists have used real-world data to study submarines’ speed and surface wake, with unexpected results
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Stephen Chenin Beijing
On October 2, 2021, a US submarine hit a seamount while cruising at high speed in the northern part of the South China Sea.
The USS Connecticut (SSN-22) was travelling at 24 knots when it was involved in the serious accident. A subsequent US military investigation assigned blame to the negligence of the officers and crew on board as well as their unfamiliarity with the terrain.
A Seawolf-class attack submarine, a submarine as big as the SSN-22 is considered one of the most powerful underwater combat platforms of the US Navy. It can maintain silence, even at high speeds, making it difficult for enemies to distinguish its sound signature from background ocean noise.
But when travelling in excess of 20 knots, and in such a complex and intensely monitored waterway as the South China Sea, a large submarine such as the SSN-22 can produce detectable ripples on the surface, thus giving away its position, according to a new study by Chinese scientists.
The team of researchers, led by engineer Li Yuhang with the 713th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, used real-world environmental data collected by Chinese sensors in the South China Sea to look at water surface wake in a bid to “offer some suggestions for the safe navigation of Chinese submarines”. They detailed their research in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics on May 27.
When a submarine moves, it inevitably disturbs the surrounding water. Some of this disturbance rises to the ocean’s surface, and it can be detected by aircraft or satellites equipped with high-resolution radar.
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