'Arms race' leaving our subs all at sea

The Age

 

Closer to home, the mischief-making potential of submarines was highlighted in a little-reported incident during the Interfet operation to East Timor in September 1999, when Australia was just one miscalculation away from war with Indonesia.

 

As an Australian-led convoy made its way to Dili, two New Zealand frigates went to action stations after detecting an Indonesian submarine aggressively challenging the convoy.

 

Urgent signals went back to Canberra. In turn, a flurry of diplomatic and political messages went to Jakarta, warning against any threat to the allied ships.

 

The issue was resolved when the Indonesians withdrew the submarine, but not before it caused "enormous consternation here in Canberra", says Andrew Davies, the author of the ASPI report.

Houston...we may have an H4 scenario.

Herman, et al.

 

I read the article, very interesting, but did not see an explanation on how the Indonesian sub was detected. This was most likely intentional. How in you naval wargamers's opinion would this have taken place? In the small H4 engagement that I am currently running through, based partly on the above article and on the HNR03 LCS scenario, I have two NZ ANZAC FF (MEKO-200) leading two mechants. I am approaching a choke point near the Isle of Greenport, and oviously concerned with a hostile Type 212 SS (which is in fact nearby, just not yet in either platform's passive sonar range). One FF launched an SH-2G(A) which dropped a line of DIFAR SSQ-53 Soanr Buoys in the "choke point" to no avail yet.

 

Just trying to get my arms around this type of engagement.

If I knew that my 'thundering herd' was going to be detected, anyway, I'd set my sonar for intermittent active since I'm not able to hide my position. I would expect the enemy to get the first attack on me and could only hope that he chooses a frigate as the initial target over the valuable transports. If the frigate survives the attack, then the diesel is mine as he won't be able to manoeuvre away fast enough to avoid the helo I send his way.

 

That's how I'd do it.