11 Comments

Great point. We proposed one potential solution to create more ASW capacity in a study last year at https://www.hudson.org/research/16347-sustaining-the-undersea-advantage-transforming-anti-submarine-warfare-using-autonomous-systems.

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Is the HSC community even current on ASW these days?

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The HSC community has no ASW mission. CSG logistics, FAC/FIAC defense, and they are stuck with operating the Firescout.

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So who has inner zone ASW? I was in HS when it was our primary mission.

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The HSM community. The MH-60R is now the dipper - in addition to all the other stuff that the Bravo had. Airframes on the CVN and additional ones on the CG/DDGs in the CSG. All from the same squadron.

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My favorite sea story is gulf of Alaska ops on USS Cushing with four other ships and two dippers

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But I’m old

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All valid points, BUT ALSO, there's a paltry few P-8 Poseidons that will never be able to replace 12 squadrons of P-3C Orions.

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As a tincan sailor who experienced considerable ASW with Task Force Alpha out of Norfolk in the 60s and around the world with DESRON 32, I concur that it is a small step forward. I do wonder if our SW community is properly trained to operate under these conditions. Anyway, I enjoyed the refamiliarization with "thermoclines."

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The two single biggest problems the US ASW community faces:

1. We have not sunk a submarine in 75+ years

2. We have not lost a ship to a submarine in the same 75+ years

nb - The Belgrano went down in short order, who knows how good their DC was, but just saying

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Does this mean we no longer have attack subs following the Russian boomers as they leave port? I thought that was the reason for all the subs we are building.

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