On October 8, the U.S. Navy formally removed Lieutenant Commander Robert Moreno, the commander of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming, from his position. He was in charge of one of the two crews on the nuclear submarine, known as the "Blue crew." After being relieved of his duties, he temporarily returned to shore pending reassignment. The Pentagon did not explain the specific reasons and still vaguely stated that he lacked the necessary confidence to win.
[Mysterious Submarine Seen by Satellite]
Ballistic missile submarines are the cornerstone of strategic nuclear deterrence for major powers. Now, the U.S. Air Force has canceled the alert duty of bomber aircraft carrying nuclear weapons, and the aging Minuteman III land-based missiles are struggling. The development of the Sentinel missile is also at a standstill. The Trident II missiles carried by the Ohio class are currently the most reliable nuclear deterrent force in the United States.
Those who can command an Ohio-class submarine on the high seas are certainly elite officers of the U.S. Navy. Although the rank of the captain is lieutenant commander, which is one level lower than the captain's rank of a carrier, the responsibility is no less. Lieutenant Commander Moreno's placement in this position indicates that he has undergone long-term testing. Being relieved of his duties must mean that he committed a serious mistake.
Although the U.S. Navy has not disclosed details, a fact revealed by French media gives people another line of thinking. A foreign commercial remote sensing satellite discovered two unmanned submarines in a port near Hainan Island.
The new model found by French media has a length of 40 to 42 meters. Although it is only half the size of the Kilo-class 877 submarine, its hull is as wide as a traditional manned submarine, not slim like a reconnaissance submarine.
This suggests that they can carry larger power systems and more sensors, and even carry torpedoes and missiles for long-range attacks.
[Interior of the Early Ohio Class]
This makes people suspect that during the maneuvering of the USS Wyoming, Lieutenant Commander Moreno suddenly encountered an unmanned submarine, panicked, lost composure, made a failed decision, and even caused losses. Therefore, the upper echelons of the U.S. Navy had to remove him.
Although ballistic missile submarines are known for their invisibility, they actually have traces. The USS Wyoming has been deployed in the Pacific region for 20 years, but there are only a few ports where nuclear-powered warships can be docked and maintained. The times when it enters and exits these ports can be tracked. In addition, according to oceanographic research, even when a nuclear submarine is sailing underwater, its wake can be reflected on the sea surface, and can be detected by synthetic aperture radar satellites or optical satellites.
This tracking method has limited precision and timeliness, making it difficult to directly support anti-submarine warfare. However, through long-term data accumulation, the basic patrol routes of nuclear submarines can be identified. Combined with other intelligence sources, it is possible to design ambush and interception plans for unmanned submarines.
Unmanned submarines have a clear advantage: their endurance is almost unlimited. Although they need to surface for charging, they do not require oxygen supply for the crew, nor do they need lighting or ventilation inside the submarine. Therefore, the range after a single charge is very long. They do not need to consider the mental health of the crew; the operators on the ground can work and take shifts in a comfortable control room. Therefore, unmanned submarines can wait for nuclear submarines on their possible patrol routes, even waiting for several months in a certain location, which is feasible.
We can imagine the scene at that time. When the USS Wyoming went out to sea and entered a familiar route, the commander just retrieved the periscope and was about to submerge when a monster appeared on the sonar. It was neither the Russian Borei-class (Bulava) nor the Chinese Type 093, nor the Kilo-class or Type 039. While Moreno was panicking, the monster approached the submarine.
Because the distance was too close, it was impossible to use a torpedo for self-defense. Moreno tried to direct the submarine to escape, but an 18,000-ton underwater giant was not easy to turn around, resulting in chaos. When the USS Wyoming finally escaped back to base, the crew complained that the lieutenant commander was terrified.
[Ohio-class Crew Working]
In recent years, the U.S. Navy has repeatedly relieved commanders, and the specific reasons have never been disclosed. However, if it is related to China's unmanned submarines, more incidents of "lack of confidence" will occur in the future.
Unmanned submarines are "game-changers" in underwater warfare. Unlike drones or unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned submarines require much higher levels of artificial intelligence and beyond-line-of-sight communication. In the pitch-black depths of the ocean, unmanned submarines can only rely on their own sensors to navigate. Operators on the ground can only give them course points through satellites when the submarine surfaces or approaches the surface. They cannot directly steer the submarine. Once the submarine reaches a certain depth, the operators completely lose contact and can only wait until the next surfacing to resume communication.
[Foreign Analysts Believe China Has 40-meter-sized Unmanned Submarines]
However, if an industrial system can overcome such challenges and produce unmanned submarines, it means significant breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence. Such weapons can not only autonomously navigate, but also autonomously perform reconnaissance, surveillance, and torpedo attack missions. They can use conventional propulsion to achieve nearly the same endurance as nuclear submarines. The threat is not only to ballistic missile submarines, but also to various surface ships and logistics vessels. Because they do not carry crew members, commanders can be bolder in tactical applications.
It seems that the U.S. Navy is really facing a big trouble.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560913812648428051/
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