With the rapid breakthroughs in detection technologies such as quantum sensing, satellite tracking, and artificial intelligence, The Guardian warns that a technological revolution capable of transforming naval warfare is brewing. This development not only directly challenges the inherent strategic advantages of traditional submarines but also will bring new changes to future "great power competition."

A naval revolution is quietly emerging

In the first quarter of the 21st century, nuclear submarines were undoubtedly one of the most powerful deterrent forces on the surface of the Earth. They moved like underwater ghosts, almost undetectable, serving both as deadly attack weapons and as a retaliatory "second strike" role. Any attack on a country with nuclear submarines must consider the devastating retaliation from beneath the sea.

However, a series of technological breakthroughs from China are quietly changing this situation. Although some of these announcements still need to be implemented, these developments point to an astonishing possibility: the last opaque domain on Earth - the ocean - may no longer remain mysterious in the future.

According to The Guardian, an intense underwater arms race is currently underway, with the core objective being to perfect the technology for detecting submarines while developing new methods for hiding them. Countries are now investing huge resources into various detection technologies, including drones, sonobuoys, satellites, magnetometers, and quantum sensors, in an attempt to compress every inch of space where submarines can hide.

From the slightest wave disturbance on the vast sea, minor changes in seawater temperature, weak magnetic anomalies, to traces of bioluminescence, all could become clues revealing the path of a submarine. When this complex data is processed in real-time by artificial intelligence, its threat level increases exponentially. Artificial intelligence technology can penetrate massive "noise," identifying hidden patterns and connections that human analysts cannot detect, thereby precisely locating the exact position of a submarine underwater.

The greatest advantage of submarines is their ability to hide in the ocean

The leader in this technological competition is China, the main target that the West has long wanted to counterbalance. Ironyously, in 2021, the United States went against its ally France to form the "AUKUS" alliance with the UK and Australia, aiming to sell nuclear submarines to the latter. However, as China's underwater technology continues to break through, the value of the AUKUS alliance is rapidly diminishing.

Submarines are made of metal and cause slight distortions in the Earth's magnetic field when moving through water. Last year, Chinese scientists announced that they had developed a new type of seabed sensor capable of detecting the weak electromagnetic waves generated by submarine propellers from nearly 20 kilometers away. The detection range is about ten times that of previous technologies; additionally, according to a research report published in December 2024, Chinese scientists claimed to have developed an airborne magnetometer that can track the persistent magnetic trail left behind by submarines.

As for the development of quantum sensing technology, it brings even more revolutionary prospects. This technology can detect extremely small disturbances at the atomic level. In April this year, scientists from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation stated that they had developed a quantum sensing system mounted on drones that can accurately track submarines. This system uses a "coherent population trapping atomic magnetometer." Its sensitivity is comparable to the "Magnetic Anomaly Detection Extended Range" (MAD-XR) system used by NATO countries, but its cost is far lower than that of the latter, making it potential for large-scale deployment.

Gregory Gonos, a researcher at Flinders University in Australia, said in an interview: The greatest advantage of submarines is their ability to hide in the vast ocean. As China gradually releases a series of black technology techniques or theories, the strategic advantages that submarines have had since their inception are being rapidly weakened. This will give China an edge in future "great power competition."

Intense underwater competition, the outcome of "great power competition" remains uncertain

However, Gonos also raised a question: Are China's advancements only those publicly announced? If a country truly possesses a killer technology that can accurately detect submarines, would it publicize it? Perhaps the progress behind the scenes exceeds external expectations.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7550129545441968666/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and is welcome to express your opinion below using the 【top/minus】 buttons.