Crimson Tide

[Aimster]

Was that an accurate display of the technology inside a nuclear powered submarine?

I just always got the impression that our technology was so advanced that we could spot anything in the water for miles and destroy it before it even saw us. I was shocked when they couldn't detect the Russia submarine that wasn't too far away from them.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Eh it depends, most of the technology on our current nuclear subs is so classified we could never know, ranging from techniques, equipment, wepaons etc. I will say though that during the age of the Los Angelas class submarines that it was as an enemy sub possible to sit on the bottom and using certain tactics lay undetected.


It also gets complicated considering that some of the secrets about russian subs we will never know also, and some of the rumors are pretty horriffic for lack of a better term.

 

[maddogchen]

Oh please, Russian subs aren't that bad that they get detected all the time.

 

[FoBoT]

i haven't seen the whole film
scenes i have seen are not accurate

hunt for red october was more realistic. they even had props in the movie that are the actual things from subs, like the battle lanterns and sound powered phones

sonar equipment is the most advanced electronics on a submarine. the control systems in the engine room are 1940-50's technology (relays for example), but the sonar guys get stuff that is only 5-10 years old (it takes that long for it to get through the defense dept/defense contractors)

i'd have to see the scecific scene to really answer the question

 

[FallenHero]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i haven't seen the whole film
scenes i have seen are not accurate

hunt for red october was more realistic. they even had props in the movie that are the actual things from subs, like the battle lanterns and sound powered phones

sonar equipment is the most advanced electronics on a submarine. the control systems in the engine room are 1940-50's technology (relays for example), but the sonar guys get stuff that is only 5-10 years old (it takes that long for it to get through the defense dept/defense contractors)

i'd have to see the scecific scene to really answer the question

Where are you getting your information? I actually just recently asked my cousin about this very topic (he is the combat driver for a seawolf class sub) and he said Red October took ALOT of liberities with the tech, operations, and abilities of a submarine. Granted, he couldn't get into details about it due to it being classified, but I am gonna take his word for it.

To the OP: Its hollywood. Don't take anything you see in a movie with more than a grain of salt. Almost everything they spew out is HIGHLY inaccurate.

 

[bctbct]

My son deployed on his first mission on a nuke sub a few weeks ago. If he has vacation pics I will post them

 

[TheBDB]

Their interpretation of how sonar works was ridiculous.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: TheBDB
Their interpretation of how sonar works was ridiculous.

I've seen the movie several times... I don't remember what was ridiculous about it. Reminder?

Oh, and for what it's worth, an obvious goal while building submarines: make them as undetectable as possible. Because they are a large metal object, traveling in a magnetic field (the earth's), they would create an electric field that is detectable. I believe they refer to it as "degaussing" - The effect is cancelled out. (had a friend in the Navy, I questioned him about the magnetic field, etc., he had some answers, although I don't know if he really understood my questions, so his answers might have been to another question. )

 

[Taggart]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: TheBDB
Their interpretation of how sonar works was ridiculous.

I've seen the movie several times... I don't remember what was ridiculous about it. Reminder?

Oh, and for what it's worth, an obvious goal while building submarines: make them as undetectable as possible. Because they are a large metal object, traveling in a magnetic field (the earth's), they would create an electric field that is detectable. I believe they refer to it as "degaussing" - The effect is cancelled out. (had a friend in the Navy, I questioned him about the magnetic field, etc., he had some answers, although I don't know if he really understood my questions, so his answers might have been to another question. )

For one thing they protrayed the sonar display to be like a radar scope, with the subs and torpedoes as 'blips' on the sonar. That's pretty bad

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Was that an accurate display of the technology inside a nuclear powered submarine?

I just always got the impression that our technology was so advanced that we could spot anything in the water for miles and destroy it before it even saw us. I was shocked when they couldn't detect the Russia submarine that wasn't too far away from them.

I don't know if it was accurate or not, but it sure was a good movie.