Submarines are engineering marvels packed with advanced sonar systems, communication arrays, navigation instruments, and control systems that enable them to function even at extreme depths. These systems work in tandem to guide the vessel through the deep ocean, allowing it to avoid collisions, navigate accurately, and maintain stealth. Let’s explore the technology behind submarine navigation and how these sophisticated electronic systems make it all possible.
Before diving into the technology that submarines use, it’s essential to understand the challenges they face. The deep ocean is an alien world. Submarines must contend with:
Now that we understand the challenges, let’s look at the advanced electronics that allow submarines to operate in these harsh conditions.
Since submarines operate in pitch-black environments where conventional vision is useless, sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging) is their primary method for detecting objects around them.
Sonar systems emit sound waves that travel through the water. When these waves hit an object—be it another vessel, an underwater mountain, or the seafloor—they bounce back to the submarine as an echo. The sonar system then analyzes the time it takes for the echo to return and the strength of the signal to determine the distance, size, and shape of the object.
Sonar systems are so sensitive that they can detect objects miles away, making them the submarine's primary "eyes" in the deep.
In the absence of GPS signals, submarines use Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to determine their position. An INS uses gyroscopes and accelerometers to track the submarine’s movements based on a known starting point. As the submarine moves, the system records changes in direction and speed, allowing it to calculate the vessel’s current position relative to its starting location.
While INS systems are highly reliable, they can drift over time, so submarines occasionally rise to periscope depth to recalibrate their position using GPS or other navigation methods. However, for extended periods underwater, INS remains the cornerstone of submarine navigation.
Maintaining communication with the surface while submerged is one of the most significant challenges submarines face. As mentioned earlier, radio waves don’t travel well through water, especially at the frequencies used for most communication systems. Submarines employ several advanced technologies to overcome this challenge.
When submerged, submarines rely on Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radio waves for communication. These frequencies can penetrate seawater, but their data transmission rates are minimal, making them suitable only for short messages.
VLF and ELF signals allow submarines to receive orders or status updates while remaining submerged. However, due to the low data rate, most complex communications must wait until the submarine surfaces or rises to periscope depth, where it can use higher-frequency communications.
Another solution is the use of communication buoys. Submarines can deploy these buoys to the surface while remaining at depth. The buoy transmits signals to satellites or surface stations, allowing the submarine to maintain communication without revealing its exact position.
Some submarines are equipped with acoustic modems, which use sound waves to transmit data underwater. While slower than radio-based systems, acoustic communication allows submarines to send and receive data without surfacing, making it ideal for stealth operations.
While most of a submarine’s time is spent underwater, it occasionally needs to gather information from the surface without fully surfacing. Traditionally, submarines used periscopes, a simple optical device that allows the crew to see above water while remaining submerged. However, modern submarines now employ photonics masts—advanced electronic systems that use cameras and sensors to capture high-resolution images and videos from the surface. These systems provide more versatility and data than traditional periscopes, including infrared and night vision capabilities.
Photonics masts can be retracted when not in use, and their small size makes them harder to detect than traditional periscopes. Combined with the other electronic systems, they provide valuable surface data that aids navigation and mission planning.
At the heart of every submarine’s operation is its control system, which integrates all the electronics and systems onboard. These control systems manage propulsion, steering, and diving. Most modern submarines use fly-by-wire control systems, meaning their movements are controlled electronically rather than through direct mechanical linkages.
Fly-by-wire systems are faster, more precise, and can automate many functions, such as stabilizing the submarine’s depth or heading, which helps reduce crew workload. The integration of various sensors, including sonar and INS, ensures that the control system can make real-time adjustments to keep the submarine on course and operating efficiently.
One of the primary goals for submarines, particularly military ones, is to remain undetected. Modern submarines use electric propulsion systems that are quieter and more efficient than traditional diesel engines. These electric systems are powered by nuclear reactors or battery systems, allowing submarines to operate for long periods without refueling.
These propulsion systems are critical to stealth, as noise is one of the easiest ways to detect a submarine. By reducing mechanical noise, submarines can travel quietly through the water, making them harder to detect with sonar systems used by other vessels.
As technology advances, so too does submarine navigation. Some future innovations on the horizon include:
Navigating the deep ocean is no easy feat, but submarines have overcome the challenges of darkness, pressure, and isolation through the use of cutting-edge electronics. From sonar systems that provide “vision” in the pitch black, to inertial navigation systems that keep submarines on course, and advanced communication technologies that allow contact with the surface, submarines rely on a suite of high-tech systems to explore and operate in the depths.
As technology continues to evolve, submarines will become even more capable of navigating the ocean’s most inhospitable regions, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible beneath the waves.
1. How do submarines know where they are underwater?
Submarines use Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to calculate their position based on their movements from a known starting point. They occasionally surface to recalibrate using GPS.
2. How do submarines communicate when submerged?
Submarines use Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radio signals, communication buoys, and acoustic modems to communicate with the surface.
3. Why can't submarines use GPS underwater?
GPS signals cannot penetrate seawater, so submarines rely on alternative navigation methods like sonar and inertial navigation systems.
4. What makes submarines so quiet?
Modern submarines use electric propulsion systems powered by nuclear reactors or batteries, reducing mechanical noise and making them harder to detect by enemy sonar.
To know more, watch our video : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7v3hkEFNqrI
Twitter : https://x.com/ZenkaEurope
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@ZenkaEurope
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/zenka-europe-uab/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/zenka_europe/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/zenkaeurope