The motto "train like you fight" is not mentioned in Chairman Mao's quotations, but the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) submarine force is very aware of this motto. In 2015, China's simulated cruise missile attack on the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) showed how much China's capabilities and ambitions had grown since 2006, when a Song-class diesel-electric submarine Surfaced within range of the torpedo of the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). Long-range anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) launched from a growing fleet of diesel submarines pose a rapid tactical threat to naval surface forces. Carrier strike groups need more and better anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platforms to defend against these increasingly powerful weapons and defeat their stealthy launchers outside the perimeter. Fortunately, a variety of existing and emerging technologies can help deploy more sensors and more weapons on more platforms and catalyze new warfighting concepts.
Threat
In 2005, China purchased eight Kilo-class submarines equipped with SS-N-27 (Sizzler) anti-ship cruise missiles. It has a range of 120 nautical miles (nm) and can conduct sea-skimming cruises. Then perform a terminal supersonic sprint. At the time, these missiles were the most serious submarine threat to an aircraft carrier strike group or surface action group.
Since then, China's submarine force has acquired more powerful weapons while growing in size and proficiency. The U.S. Department of Defense's annual report on China's military capabilities states that China's "Song, Yuan, and Shang classes will deploy the program's latest domestically produced submarine-launched YJ-18 and its improved anti-ship cruise missiles, which are a direct response to the SS- Improvements to the N-27 anti-ship cruise missile. […] The YJ-18 is a long-range torpedo tube-launched anti-ship cruise missile with supersonic terminal sprint capabilities. “China already has more than 40 ships capable of launching long-range supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. missile submarines, and new shipyards are churning out more submarines at an alarming rate. Coupled with effective reconnaissance and over-the-horizon targeting, several of these submarines can destroy attack groups almost anywhere in the theater through massive multi-channel attacks.
The current situation is insufficient
The emergence of China's submarine-launched anti-ship cruise missiles means that the submarine threat goes far beyond the underwater interception range based on ship-based helicopters anti-submarine, and the anti-submarine interception screen is fulfilling the task of mitigating the threat of submarine-launched torpedoes . MH-60R lacks the range, speed and payload required to conduct a broad search within the range needed to protect the cluster from submarine-launched anti-ship cruise missiles.
The basic logic of distributed maritime operations applies to this increasingly difficult ASW problem: deploy more sensors and more weapons on more platforms with better integration to counter greater threats. Although tactical ballistic missiles and nuclear submarines receive more attention, the U.S. Navy must address this powerful threat if it is to maintain a reliable conventional deterrent in the Indo-Pacific region.
Long-range detection and attack speed
"Awfully Slow Warfare" describes what anti-submarine warfare feels like to those who search for submarines over days or even weeks ( U.S. Navy destroyers Sailors generally regard anti-submarine warfare as The abbreviation ASW of Anti-Sub Warfare is nicknamed "Awfully Slow Warfare", which perfectly expresses the tedium of anti-submarine warfare and often returns empty-handed (Translator's Note ), but then. With the emergence of supersonic missiles, relative time suddenly shrunk. Defense against threat missiles, such as the YJ-18, which has an estimated range of 120-290 nautical miles, requires sensors to detect them upon launch and anti-submarine weapons to quickly counter emergency targets.
If the target ship radar detects an incoming Mach 3 anti-ship missile on the horizon, and has no data (lost the position of the launching submarine), the threat submarine can continue to use these long-range weapons to conduct salvos again and again. Shoot with almost no punishment. Fortunately, AI can help integrate existing strategic and tactical sensors.Linking these potential fire systems could give maritime forces near-instant warning of missile launches, including submarine-launched anti-ship cruise missiles, allowing those forces to both prepare for missile defense and conduct retaliatory counterattacks against enemy submarines .
The space-based infrared system (SBIRS) detected the launch of Iranian tactical ballistic missiles and provided soldiers at the target base in Iraq with time to find cover. The system can also detect the launch wake of an anti-ship cruise missile booster. Airborne systems, such as the F-35’s AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and the F/A-18E/F Block III’s Infrared Search and Tracking System (IRST) pods, can detect even under cloud cover emission. However, these sensors lack timely integration.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has long invested in artificial intelligence to identify ballistic missile launches and quickly fuse data from multiple sensors. Similar technology can integrate sensors for smaller anti-ship cruise missiles. After a possible booster wake is detected by SBIRS or a DAS/IRST-equipped aircraft, this AI-based tactical decision aid can shut down other sensors to search for missiles and launch platforms, assess based on known air and ground sensing positions. The possibility of launching a submarine, establishing ASW data (if relevant), and guiding ASW aircraft - all in just a few seconds.
A continuing solution to a long-term problem
If the only effective weapon for anti-submarine warfare is the MH-60R, detecting the wake of a missile 200 miles away will do little good to counterattack a submarine because it will take more than an hour to reach the launch point - not a millimeter There is no doubt that the submarine will no longer be there. To reliably protect carrier strike groups from anti-cruise missile attacks, the U.S. Navy needs platforms that can get there quickly to threaten submarines.
Just as the E/A-18G took over the EA-6B mission with half the crew, a subset of F/A-18F or F-35 fighters could assume the role of retired S-3 Corsairs and bring rapid and long-range anti-submarine warfare to the Return to the aircraft carrier carrier air wing. Airborne anti-submarine patrols can help pinpoint target locations through infrared reconnaissance, use their own air-to-air missiles to destroy incoming missiles, quickly reach the target area for emergency attacks, and then deploy a series of sensors for subsequent counterattacks. Rather than simply retrofitting the S-3B with a new airframe, the Navy should use the F/A-18 and F-35 to take advantage of smarter sensors, unmanned piloting technology (including the MQ-25 as a wingman ) and new Weapons to track and attack long-range submarines. However, lacking the S-3's extended cruise capabilities, they will require a new toolkit including persistent mobile sensors and beyond-visual-range relay to enable new operational concepts.
(to be continued)
