Military ASW employs technologies such as magnetic anomaly detectors (MAD), which detect tiny disturbances to Earth’s magnetic field caused by metallic submarine hulls, passive and active sonar sensors that use sound propagation to detect objects underwater, as well as radar and high-resolution satellite imagery to detect surfaced submarines. Submarine detection and monitoring was traditionally the exclusive domain of highly classified military units specializing in naval anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Advancements in submarine detection have the potential to affect the survivability of submarines as nuclear delivery platforms. Given the integral deterrence role submarines play in the relationships between nuclear-armed countries, understanding the tools and technologies available for submarine monitoring is strategically important. 2 Of additional concern is the submarine arms race occurring between India and Pakistan, as well as North Korea’s pursuit of diesel-electric ballistic missile submarine (SSB) capabilities. For example, the United States, its NATO allies, and Russia have ramped up Cold War-esque cat-and-mouse submarine hunts in the North Atlantic. 1 Such programs have already had a negative impact on stability in several areas of the globe. An equal number of countries are developing and testing new nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic and cruise missiles. The United States, Russia, China, North Korea, India, and Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and France have or are developing submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons systems. They can stay submerged for weeks or even months at a time, and move relatively undetected while on patrol. Nicknamed the “Silent Service,” submarines are considered the most survivable nuclear weapons-delivery platform.
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