The Future of Submarines

The Future of Submarines

The evolution of future submarines for military use will be driven by the trend to use smaller, autonomous, and unmanned vehicles to perform missions both under and above the sea. Submarines of the future will be used for their inherent stealth to link and provide support to a deployed network of sensors and weapons. These deployed systems will act to increase the area over which the submarine performs its missions and improve its effectiveness in performing these missions, while reducing the threat to the submarine and its crew.

Modularization coupled with the development and use of off-board systems will allow a wide range of payloads to be employed by submarines. These remote sensors and weapons will include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs); advanced cruise missiles; undersea acoustic and non-acoustic sensors and weapons; and new forms of submarine based systems for Anti-Submarine, Anti-Surface, and Anti-Air Warfare.

These capabilities combined with the submarine's advantage of being able to remain on-station and undetected for extended periods will multiply the effectiveness of these systems by adding the element of surprise and survivability.

The following timeline summarizes the evolution of submarine design, from the submarine's beginning as a human-powered warship to today's nuclear powered subs.

1578 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_2.htm>

The first submarine design was drafted by William Borne but never got past the drawing stage. Borne's submarine design was based on ballast tanks which could be filled to submerge and evacuated to surface - these same principles are in use by today's submarines.

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1620 <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldrebbel.htm>

Cornelis Drebbel, a Dutchman, conceived and built an oared submersible. Drebbels' submarine design was the first to address the problem of air replenishment while submerged.

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1776 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm>

<http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/b/D/submarine10.jpg',800,800,'FSI')>  Francis BarberDavid Bushnell builds the one-man human powered Turtle submarine. The Colonial Army attempted to sink the British warship HMS Eagle with the Turtle. The first submarine to dive, surface and be used in Naval combat, its intended purpose was to break the British naval blockade of New York harbor during the American Revolution. With slight positive buoyancy, it floated with approximately six inches of exposed surface. Turtle was powered by a hand-driven propeller. The operator would submerge under the target, and using a screw projecting from the top of Turtle, he would attach a clock-detonated explosive charge.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm>

1798 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm>

<http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/e/D/submarine11.gif',800,800,'FSI')>  LOCRobert Fulton builds the Nautilus submarine which incorporates two forms of power for propulsion - a sail while on the surface and a hand-cranked screw while submerged.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm>

1895 <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm>

<http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/a/D/submarine11.jpg',800,800,'FSI')>  LOCJohn P. Holland introduces the Holland VII and later the Holland VIII (1900). The Holland VIII with its petroleum engine for surface propulsion and electric engine for submerged operations served as the blueprint adopted by all the world's navies for submarine design up to 1914.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm>

1904

The French submarine Aigette is the first submarine built with a diesel engine for surface propulsion and electric engine for submerged operations. Diesel fuel is less volatile than petroleum and is the preferred fuel for current and future conventionally powered submarine designs.

1943 <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_2.htm>

The German U-boat U-264 is equipped with a snorkel mast. This mast which provides air to the diesel engine allows the submarine to operate the engine at a shallow depth and recharge the batteries

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1944

The German U-791 uses Hydrogen Peroxide as an alternative fuel source.

1954 <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm>

<http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/_/D/submarine12.jpg',800,800,'FSI')>  U.S. NavyThe U.S. launches the USS Nautilus - the world's first nuclear powered submarine. Nuclear power enables submarines to become true "submersibles" - able to operate underwater for an indefinite period of time. The development of the Naval nuclear propulsion plant was the work of a team Navy, government and contractor engineers led by Captain Hyman G. Rickover.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm>

1958

View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/-/D/submarine7.gif',800,800,'FSI')>  U.S NavyThe U.S. introduces the USS Albacore with a "tear drop" hull design to reduce underwater resistance and allow greater submerged speed and maneuverability. The first submarine class to use this new hull design is the USS Skipjack.

1959

View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/Z/D/submarine8.gif',800,800,'FSI')>  U.S. NavyThe USS George Washington is the world's first nuclear powered ballistic missile firing submarine.