NationStates Jolt Archive


Submarine Sunk off Layarteb Coast

Layarteb
13-02-2004, 00:12
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2733227
See Part V

OR

Part V: The Interloper

Coastal patrol was usually an uneventful duty for the crew of the ILN Fury (SSN-78.) The thirty of them were the elite crew of a Shield class coastal patrol submarine. This submarine was an indigenous design of Layarteb, based off the German U-214. She was three hundred feet long, twenty-three feet wide, and twenty-three hundred and fifty-five tons submerged. A 3.20MW diesel engine drove her when she was on the surface and an air independent propulsion system with fuel cells and batteries drove her under the water. The Shield class had four torpedo tubes with a total of twenty-four weapons. For this patrol, she was carrying eight UGM-84G Harpoon missiles for anti-surface capabilities and sixteen MK-48 ADCAP torpedos. The UGM-84G Harpoon 1G was an improvement over the Harpoon 1C, better known as the UGM-84D. It featured a re-attack capability and improved ECCM. It maintained the massive range of the Harpoon 1C, estimated at one hundred and twenty nautical miles at maximum with seventy-five nautical miles fully capable under the worst sea conditions. It flew subsonic at wave-top level and did a pop-up maneuver to attack the target, allowing it to attack more effectively. The MK-48 ADCAP was a highly advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface torpedo. It had a range of twenty-seven nautical miles and a speed of fifty-five knots in acquisition mode. It also could attack submarines dived at depths of three thousand feet.

The Shield was a highly advanced submarine, capable of traveling a maximum speed of twenty-two knots submerged, with maximum tactical silent speed at eighteen knots. It had a range of four hundred nautical miles and this patrol had only begun. Three other Shield class submarines were patrolling the coast as well but none were in this sector. The sonar was quiet, the ESM had showed nothing, and the scope was clear. But the waters weren't as quiet and calm as they seemed.

Then, out of nowhere, a contact appeared on the sonar waterfall ahead traveling away from the Fury at four knots. It was unidentified at the moment but it was marked and a radio dispatch immediately sent to central submarine command. The signal alarmed the fleet admiral and immediately a P-3C Orion was dispatched, armed with MK-50 torpedos and AGM-84G Harpoon missiles. It was carrying the maximum load to allow for a three hour loiter time. It would mainly be used to identify if there was a contact or not. The P-3C contacted the Shield class through communications as the Shield was only at a depth of sixty-feet, periscope depth. The Shield was moving at eight knots, taking on the contact at double the speed. When the P-3C arrived it showed that the contact was twelve thousand yards away and traveling at two knots, away from the Shield. The Shield closed quickly until it was about five thousand yards behind the contact, where it was identified.

The submarine, traveling at two knots ahead, five thousand yards ahead of the Fury was an Improved 688 class. It wasn't part of the Imperial Layarteb Navy and its identity was not known. The Fury questioned what it would be doing. They were four thousand yards behind the 688, contact "Sierra 2," traveling at two knots, the same speed as the 688. The 688 was towing no array and thus could not tell that a submarine was shadowing it. Surface ships were kept on the normal line and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The P-3C had been recalled and now only the Fury and the SOSUS net was tracking this submarine.

Admiral Chester A. Arthur IV, the Joint Chief of Staff Chairman and highest ranking officer in the Imperial Layarteb Navy, walked into the Emperor's office at precisely 1700. He was carrying a manilla folder with intelligence that was gathered over the past twelve hours. "Emperor, we have a serious problem." Only he and the Emperor were present in the dim-lit office as the sun was largely down over the land.

"So I've heard. What is this business about a possible enemy submarine shadowing us?"

"That is right sir. We have an enemy 688 submarine travelling about one hundred feet below the surface at a speed of two knots shadowing the coast, most likely gathering intelligence. In the past twelve hours there have been no communications transmissions and the submarine has taken a rather straight line course, unknown that we know of its presence. Going back through SOSUS logs we can safely say that it has been here for two days. Its origin is unknown. We have a Shield class shadowing it now."

The Emperor sighed and looked over the folder, which gave intelligence about the submarine gathered from the SOSUS Net, which was classified and unknown to anyone other than the higher ups of the Layarteb government and military, E-6 Mercury planes, the P-3C, satellites, and the Fury. "What do you plan to do if it attempts to communicate with whoever it is that sent it here?"

"Well sir we plan to intercept the communication and ensure that it does not reach its destination."

"How?"

"We have aircraft up right now that will capture anything and everything that submarine transmits."

"Good. Very well, is there a way other than that to identify it."

"No sir. Not unless someone admits it."

"Very well. We'll wait another three hours and if it doesn't, sink the damn thing!"

"Yes sir." The Admiral left and three hours later, there was no word. The order was given and the Shield launched a MK-48 ADCAP. The torpedo completely obliterated the 688 without the Shield class ever being noticed.

http://www.theforsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Other/underwater_explosion.jpg
Layarteb
14-02-2004, 21:43
:: bump ::