Anti-Submarine Warfare: Still an Essential Warfare Art
Abstract
As the post-Cold War Military drawdown continues, the United States Navy must examine which post-war programs are still, necessary and cost effective, in President Bush's final budget proposal funding was cut from two major Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) programs, the follow-on to the P-3C aircraft and the Seawolf submarine. While it is true the former Soviet Union, and now Russia, has drastically reduced the forward deployment of its submarines, the capability still remains. Additionally, the proliferation of diesel submarines continues unabated throughout many nations of the world. ASW is as much of an art as it is a science. It is a mission that requires modern equipment and well trained crews. The United States' industrial base that has produced the world's finest ASW equipment is in jeopardy with the cancellation of these two programs. As diesel submarine technology improves, the ability of existing ASW platforms to prosecute these submarines becomes more difficult. Should ASW again become the U.S. Navy's primary mission, will the industrial expertise to produce ASW systems still exist? How long would it take to recapture the U.S. Navy's ASW preeminence? This paper will examine the ASW issue as a whole, and will argue that the U.S. Navy ana the United States needs to maintain the technological edge in ASW equipment and proficiency and not sacrifice these capabilities to the-present day budget whims.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 19, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA263556
Entities
People
- Hugh C. Dawson Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College