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Did Subs get Much harder to detect... or is it just me.
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2026 9:32 pm
by serjames
Soviet subs, doing 30+ knots at 133 odd feet. less than 5 miles from a frigate or destroyer... It just seems incredible that it's not detected. Haven't played for a while and I read that the sonar model was updated, but somethings not right. I have a fleet of asw helicopters up. Passive and active bouys all round. and nothing...
Until it's too late. seems to be just as hard now for subs to even hear ships ? what's going on. Feels very broken compared to how it used to be. Subs were a challenge, especially below the layer, but one picked up the ASW screen would quickly id and prosecute. Now it seems many of the old scenarios are impossible as subs were liberally spread inside fleet formations, asssuming I suppose they would be discovered. Not anymore. Is it just me ? Am I doing something wrong?
Re: Did Subs get Much harder to detect... or is it just me.
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2026 10:39 pm
by serjames
This is one scenario I was playing. Check the French Carrier group towards the south west. Doesn't take long for them to all die to wake homing torpedoes..
Second scenario, is frankly ridiculous. 688 Los Angeles Class sub north and slightly East of an Iowa Class battlewagon and the nimitz with its escorts. The 688 can hear nothing at 13 to 20 miles.. nothing. *(it does hear their active bouys, but not the 100,000+ tonnes of steel bearing down on it at a fair few turns)
The soviet Alfa is tracking slightly east of it. At 30+ knots. Cavitating like a good-un... Nothing It can hear squat from the CVBG even when slowed to creep. And the sub and the fleet hear nothing. Even with sensors in the water ?
Re: Did Subs get Much harder to detect... or is it just me.
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2026 7:23 am
by Nikel
In the NF scenario it is the speed what is preventing the use of the passive sonar.

- S1.gif (4.13 MiB) Viewed 133 times
The 688 problem for the passive sonar is the depth, moving S that is deeper waters will activate it and start detecting ships and the enemy sub.
It is not at maximum range of the passive sonar that is 40 nm, but also depends of the noise of the target. I do not know whether the distance of detection with passive sonar is WAD or not.

- S23.gif (9.89 MiB) Viewed 133 times
Re: Did Subs get Much harder to detect... or is it just me.
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2026 10:40 am
by serjames
You've definitely taught me something there - Or at least reminded me to read what the sensors suite is ACTUALLY telling me.
I'll have to try again. Thanks
Agree on your last comment, it just does seem surprising that even the hull sonars cannot detect the large fast moving vessels across that distance...
I cannot imagine what the chances of actually discovering a OpFor vessel would be in real life... just seems impossibly like chance....
BTW how do you record your incredible screen captures ?
Re: Did Subs get Much harder to detect... or is it just me.
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2026 10:48 am
by Nikel
ScreenToGif, is free and easy to use.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenT ... tag/2.43.2
Just be careful with the size of the screen and the time of recording, the maximum file size allowed in the forum is 10 MB.
Includes some editing tools to reduce the size if needed.