By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
The US Navy’s famous P-8A Poseidon surveillance plane is now hunting Chinese submarines in the Taiwan strait in what appears to be an effort to identify or track the People’s Liberation Army – Navy’s undersea activity.
A Navy essay said the spy plane transited international airspace to “uphold the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” The surveillance, sub-hunting and attack aircraft is a non-stealthy larger potential target, yet its collection of technologies have proved tactically relevant for many years. The P-8 was the platform which obtained the video of Chinese “land reclamation” in the South China Sea years ago. Many are likely to recall that this was known as a “phony island building” enterprise designed to help advance the PRCs territorial claims in the region. The P-8 footage was able to show these activities to the world in an effort to garner international support in a China deterrence effort.
In a broader strategic sense, however, a regular surveillance presence and forward positioned platforms in the Taiwan strait would seem critical to any deterrence efforts for a number of key reasons. For instance, should the PRC launch any kind of unexpected, rapid, surprise amphibious attack on Taiwan, an ability to defend Taiwan would likely rely heavily upon a US Navy forward presence in the form of surface ships to bring F-35s within range, attack submarines to counter any Chinese undersea and surface presence and “surveillance” technologies such as drones and the P-8.
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The Chinese submarine threat is indeed quite significant in terms of both attack submarines and SSBN nuclear-armed boats. In recent years, the PLA-Navy has been testing, developing and preparing to integrate a new JL-3 submarine-launched nuclear-armed missile with a much longer range than its predecessor, the JL-2. A JL-3 is reportedly capable of traveling as far as 4,000 miles, a capability which could easily hold Hawaii and even parts of the continental US at risk.
Also, should Chinese submarines remain undetected within the small 100-mile distance between mainland China and the Taiwan Strait, they would be well positioned to attack Taiwan with undersea-launched cruise missiles and threaten US and allied surface ships with torpedoes. This is likely why the US Navy hopes to keep as much of a watchful eye on the area as may be possible. Should a P-8 succeed in locating PLA-Navy submarines near or beneath the surface, location specifics could quickly be sent to surface ships, attack aircraft and even US Navy attack submarines in position to attack or destroy PLA-subs. Despite the well-known discussion regarding fast-emerging Chinese threats, the US Navy is still believed to operate with undersea superiority, something the US and allied Navies would likely leverage in any conflict.
While drones and satellites can be quite significant, a P-8 aircraft introduces a suite of technologies and surveillance systems not present on other platforms. Initially, the largest margin of difference between unarmed drones, lower-flying helicopter surveillance platforms and the Poseidon is an ability to search for submarines beneath the surface with Sonobuoys. The P-8 can operate as many as 129 sonobuoys, travel at high speeds of more than 500 miles, fly at higher, safer altitudes and lower sub-hunting technologies undersea.
Navy developers explain the Poseidon can operate on 10-hour missions at ranges out to 1,200 nautical miles. More dwell time capacity, fortified by high-speeds, seems to position the Poseidon well for covering wide areas in search of “hidden” Chinese SSBNs.
Also, as opposed to unarmed surveillance nodes, the Poseidon carries harpoons and torpedoes in position to attack PLA submarines that travel within range of the weapons.
Alongside its AN/APY-10 surveillance radar and MX-series electro-optical/infrared cameras optimized to scan the ocean surface, the Poseidon’s air-parachuted sonobuoys can find submarines at various depths beneath the surface. The surveillance aircraft can operate as a “node” within a broader sub-hunting network consisting of surface ships, unmanned surface vessels, aerial drone-mounted maritime sensors and submarines. As part of its contribution to interconnected sub-hunting missions, the Poseidon can draw upon an Active Electronically Scanned Array, Synthetic Aperture Radar and Ground Moving Target Indicator.
By lowering hydrophones and a magnetic compass to a predetermined depth, connected by cable to a floating surface radio transmitter, Poseidon sonobuoys can convert acoustic energy from the water into a radio signal sent to aircraft computer processors, according to a June 2018 issue of “Physics World.”
Also, Poseidon-dispatched sonobuoys can contribute to the often discussed “US Navy Fish Hook Undersea Defense Line,” a seamless network of hydrophones, sensors and strategically positioned assets stretching from coastal areas off of Northern China down near the Philippines all the way to Indonesia, according to an essay from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, called “China’s Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines and Strategic Stability.”
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University
