Electric Boat

The Electric Boat company began construction of the first new Columbia class submarine in 2020. It will not be operational until 2031 if it stays on schedule.

That is crazy.

Quote: DRich

The Electric Boat company began construction of the first new Columbia class submarine in 2020. It will not be operational until 2031 if it stays on schedule.

That is crazy.

Submarines have a pretty long life. I think these are planned to be used until the 2080s.

Quote: Gandler

Submarines have a pretty long life. I think these are planned to be used until the 2080s.

I believe I read a 42 year shelf life and it will not need to refueled in those 42 years.

Quote: DRich

I believe I read a 42 year shelf life and it will not need to refueled in those 42 years.

Yeah, Nuclear subs are pretty epic. Really the only reason they ever need to come to shore (aside from damage or emergency) is to restock food (even water can be generated), its crazy that food aside you could operate in a sub 40+ years without needing to come out.

Its going to be even crazier when it gets to a point where subs can be crewless, and such subs can just patrol essentially forever without the worry of food.

Quote: Gandler

Yeah, Nuclear subs are pretty epic. Really the only reason they ever need to come to shore (aside from damage or emergency) is to restock food (even water can be generated), its crazy that food aside you could operate in a sub 40+ years without needing to come out.

Its going to be even crazier when it gets to a point where subs can be crewless, and such subs can just patrol essentially forever without the worry of food.

I believe Boeing has already created a small drone sub. Big ones probably aren't far behind.

I wonder how many underwater sensors exist off the coast of the US. Basically you can plant the device just below the ocean floor, with fake seaweed covering an antenna. With three of them and some pings you can triangulate a position of anything large.

Quote: Gandler

Its going to be even crazier when it gets to a point where subs can be crewless, and such subs can just patrol essentially forever without the worry of food.

A Columbia class submarine can carry nuclear warheads with hundreds of times the kiltons of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Whenever people talk about a crewless vessel with this kind of destructive capability I envision many disastrous scenarios.

Quote: Pacomartin

A Columbia class submarine can carry nuclear warheads with hundreds of times the kiltons of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Whenever people talk about a crewless vessel with this kind of destructive capability I envision many disastrous scenarios.

Like what for instance? One that can take it's orders from space?

Quote: petroglyph

Like what for instance? One that can take it's orders from space?

Much less sci-fi. Someone simply disabling the boat with depth charges and then stealing all those warheads,

Quote: Pacomartin

Much less sci-fi. Someone simply disabling the boat with depth charges and then stealing all those warheads,

I would think they could buy warheads by now from either N. Korea or Pakistan or ???