Submarines: Small, But Convincing

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April 8, 2011: The U.S. Navy is spending over $5 million to develop a new generation of its Mk39 EMATT (Expendable Mobile Anti-submarine Warfare Training Target). Looking like a tiny torpedo, the 92 cm (36 inch) long device contains electronics that will transmit the kinds of sounds American ships can expect to hear from a hostile diesel-electric submarine. The current EMATT is 120mm in diameter and weighs 10 kg (22 pounds). EMATT can dive down to 200 meters and move at up to 14 kilometers an hour. Depending on speed used, the EMATT rechargeable battery is good for 3-8 hours. EMATT can be programmed to run certain patterns underwater, while transmitting certain audio signals (which can be loaded as electronic, or .WAV, files.). Currently, the navy runs through several hundred EMATTs a year. Despite their name, most are recovered and reused. With the new, improved, model, the navy hopes to use three times as many a year. EMATT has been around for 14 years, and the current model (EMATT Mk39 Mod 2) has been around for nine years.

 

 

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