What does Timothy think of this ?

[tombogan03884]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/report-russian-nuclear-attack-sub-patrolled-waters-off-gulf-for-a-month-undetected/


Report: Russian Nuclear Attack Sub Patrolled Waters Off Gulf for a Month…Undetected

A Russian, nuclear-powered attack sub patrolled the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, off the U.S. coast, undetected for a month, a new startling report from the Washington Free Beacon says.

The sub, the Free Beacon says, is an Akula vessel loaded with cruise missiles and is one of the quietest in the Russian fleet.

From the report:

    The stealth underwater incursion in the Gulf took place at the same time Russian strategic bombers made incursions into restricted U.S. airspace near Alaska and California in June and July, and highlights a growing military assertiveness by Moscow.

    The submarine patrol also exposed what U.S. officials said were deficiencies in U.S. anti-submarine warfare capabilities—forces that are facing cuts under the Obama administration’s plan to reduce defense spending by $487 billion over the next 10 years.

    The Navy is in charge of detecting submarines, especially those that sail near U.S. nuclear missile submarines, and uses undersea sensors and satellites to locate and track them.

    The fact that the Akula was not detected in the Gulf is cause for concern, U.S. officials said.
    “The Akula was built for one reason and one reason only: To kill U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarines and their crews,” said a second U.S. official.

    “It’s a very stealthy boat so it can sneak around and avoid detection and hope to get past any protective screen a boomer might have in place,” the official said, referring to the Navy nickname for strategic missile submarines.

If confirmed, this isn’t the first time the Russians have made such a bold move recently. In 2009, the New York Times reported two other nuclear-powered attack subs were found to have patrolled the eastern seaboard, about 200 miles off the coast.

“It’s a confounding situation arising from a lack of leadership in our dealings with Moscow,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told the Free Beacon. “While the president is touting our supposed ‘reset’ in relations with Russia, Vladimir Putin is actively working against American interests, whether it’s in Syria or here in our own backyard.”

[Solus]

Well, I'm a bit confused. 

If we didn't know it was there, how do we know we missed finding it?

I guess the Russians might do a few Nyah Nyah's .

And if any of the brass in the Navy have any sense, they'd be saying just what was in that report even if they picked the sub up in Russian waters and tracked it the whole way here and back home.

Of course it would be a nice touch if, when it gets to dry dock, they find a "Kilroy Was Here" painted on the hull 

[Timothy]

Timothy doesn't like this and can't really get into any details.  Though the missions I've been involved in are now unclassified, the assets are not.  It's already become a topic of conversation (unclassified) on my alumni forum.

Even though we've been told otherwise, the Cold War never ended!

[alfsauve]

Of course it would be a nice touch if, when it gets to dry dock, they find a "Kilroy Was Here" painted on the hull 

Yeah, if we did track it we wouldn't want to admit it so that the other guy becomes, "cocky".   Play your cards close.

[twyacht]

We didn't even get a ping?.....

"One Ping Only Please".......

Hell, the Russians probably leaked it intentionally to get the Nyah, Nyah effect....

They went around S. of Cuba, or hugged the Northern coast and cruised around for a while,......We have been playing sub games with the Russians for decades....

I'm sure we've had periscope views of their coastal cities....

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

We didn't even get a ping?.....

"One Ping Only Please".......

Hell, the Russians probably leaked it intentionally to get the Nyah, Nyah effect....

They went around S. of Cuba, or hugged the Northern coast and cruised around for a while,......We have been playing sub games with the Russians for decades....

I'm sure we've had periscope views of their coastal cities....

You make a valid observation TW.  Coastal waters are very shallow and sound propagation is greatly muddled up due to the amount of noise that is generated by waves, surf, other coastal traffic, a good storm, etc.  A good captain could sneak into the gulf without too much effort.  Keep it silent, slow without cavitation on the blades and you'd be surprised where they can go.  

Pinging, aka "active sonar", isn't used much by other submarines.  If you're tracking another boat and you send out a ping, it gives the enemy a direct path back to the source.  

I am completely surprised that this boat could leave Polyarny, through the GIUK (Greenland-Iceland-UK) gap and travel the entire Atlantic without being detected.  Someone in the system is going to be working over time going through the history to find this prick...

Even closer....how 'bout Mermansk harbor...upclose and personal!

[Magoo541]

I recall a story of a SEAL team placing a listening device on a telecom cable that ran on a harbour's bottom back in the 80's (90's ?)

We know it happens, they know it happens and we all shut up about it, I think this is a case of Putin Propoganda-even if it is true.

[Timothy]

It's true Magoo...

Blame it on the cutbacks from the Clinton admin, little or no threat for nearly twenty years and little funding to bring the "system" up to modern standards and this is the result.  You can only do some much with a disinterested admin!  Give us four more years with the current crop and Putin will be driving a boat right into Norfolk Naval Shipyard!

[tombogan03884]

Since my information comes from gossip and open sources I can say a few things Tim can't.
The wire tap program was called "Operation Ivy Bells" divers placed a pod on an underwater cable running across the Sea of Okhotsk it was a wire tap and was changed several times, eventually the mission was compromised and resulted in a massive Soviet sub hunt that resulted in a collision between a Soviet sub and the US sub. the US sub however was never precisely located and managed to return to it's home port.
That was in the North Pacific. I have heard from a participant that similar operations were performed in the Barents Sea.
Photos were taken not "off the coast" but right in Murmansk harbor .
The Akula class are indeed the quietest nuke boat the Russians ever built, they are not however "silent", American subs have tracked them for extended periods (weeks ) close enough to take a photo (called a "hull shot" ) with out themselves being detected.
They sonar signatures recorded during an extended contact like that are programed into computers, the next time that sound signature is heard on a US sonar it is automatically designated as a possible Akula further listening will eventually identify WHICH Akula telling the operator who is probably in command as well as pretty much every other detail about the boat.
Just because no one told the media does not mean it was undetected.

[Timothy]

Tom has a good point on detection.

Though this boat appears to have slipped into the Gulf, no one in the system would have informed the media about it's presence.  Their responsibilities are to inform their superiors who then inform the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet who then informs the Pentagon and eventually, the guy drinking beer in the Oval Office.

There are severe consequences when you forget you have a very high government clearance.  I've been out 33 years and there are things that I will not talk about even though I'm under no legal obligation to keep my pie hole shut! 

There may well have been a US boat in this guys baffles the whole time!