The U.S. military evolves again for 21st century threats: this time it's the submariners of the Pacific Fleet.
[T]he primary targets of American submarines are terrorists, particularly those in Southeast Asia.Posted by Alan at November 29, 2006 12:55 AMOfficers at the Pacific Command and the Special Operations Command, also with headquarters in Hawaii, have pointed to the island chains stretching across the Sulu and Celebes seas as routes along which terrorists have traveled from training camps in the Philippines to targets in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Submarines have two attributes that make them effective against terrorists -- stealth and persistence. Unlike surface ships, submarines can stay concealed in the sea, rising to periscope depth to take pictures, listen to electronic transmissions and collect other intelligence. Unlike the airplanes or satellites that pass over a target, submarines can stay on station for weeks or months.
The fastattack submarines, in addition to traditional torpedoes, are armed with 12 cruise missiles with conventional warheads. The submarines can also land six-man special operations teams to collect intelligence or conduct raids, then return to pick up the teams.
The Pacific submarine fleet has had so many missions assigned to it recently that it no longer sends submarines to the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea to support the war in Iraq. That duty has been turned over to the Atlantic fleet.