When I write about smuggling submarines, it is normally about the Narco Subs found in Latin America. But there are other places were there were, or have been, circumstances to cause smugglers to use similar devices.
Switzerland also has its fair share of smuggling history.
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The Imperial Japanese Army's Sneaky Troop Transport Submarine
The vulnerability of landing craft is a hot topic for amphibious forces around the world. So Navies and Marines are looking to ways to make their landing craft more survivable, and using submarines is not a daft idea.
Faced with a similar problem in World war Two, the Japanese Army (not navy) built dedicated transport submarines.
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Pioneering Extra-Large UUV: The Royal Navy's Manta
Updated: Oroginally posted March 18, 2020
As a first step the Royal Navy recently announced the contract for the Manta XLUUV (Extra-large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle). Ultimately the Royal Navy envisions very large UUVs taking on armed combat roles...
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Switzerland’s Remarkable ‘Navy’: A Covert Shores Guide
Land-locked countries sometimes have particularly interesting navies. Or boat equipped Army units. Characterized by heavily armed neutrality, the postwar Swiss military has an extremely high standard of equipment.
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Qatar Navy's New Submarine - About M23 SRL
Slowly, more information about the submarines being built in Italy for the Qatari Emiri Navy (QEN) are coming out. The EUR 190 million deal is for two submarines plus a training system.
It has emerged that GSE are the builder, under a spin-off company called M23 SRL.
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New Variant Of China's Yuan Class Submarine, Possible Type-039C
A candid photograph, taken from a moving vehicle on a bridge, shows the submarine on the slipway at Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan.
I have not yet been able to corroborate the image with other public sources, so caution is needed. However, Google Earth satellite imagery does show three submarine hull sections in the latest (February 2021) imagery.
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US Navy's Low Visibility Craft (LVC)
Imagine a little-talked about military unit made up of U.S. Navy SEALs, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) divers and U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon guys. Give them trained Navy dolphins, and ask task them with developing new tactics.
And the unique Low Visibility Craft they came up with is particularly interesting.
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Possible New Information On Russia's Mysterious 'Cephalopod' AUV
Possible New Information On Russia's Mysterious 'Cephalopod' Armed AUV
Russian submarine design bureau Rubin has been targeted by suspected Chinese state hackers. The alleged attack was made via a malware loaded Word document, which was emailed to Rubin's Director General, Igor V. Vilnit.
The story is interesting, but the image used in the attack is particularly interesting. It appears to show the little-known armed AUV 'Cephalopod'.
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French Navy Suffren Class Submarine
French Navy Suffren Class (Barracuda) Submarine
As naval threats go, nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) are the apex predators. The new Suffren Class will bring France's SSNs closer to their British and American allies boats in overall capabilities.
6 of these submarines will form the backbone of the French Navy (Marine Nationale).
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Indonesia's KSM-32 Submarine Design
Indonesian Navy's KSM 32 Midget Submarine
The KSM-32 (Kapal Selam Mini) is an indigenous midget submarine design from Indonesia.
midget submarines represent a natural first step for a country building its indigenous submarine building capabilities. Indonesia is already locally producing the South Korean Type-209/1400 Chang Bogo-class, known locally as the Nagapasa-class. Midget submarines would be quicker, cheaper and lower risk than entering into a full-sized indigenous program.
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