DESIGN PROTOTYPES AND TEST PLATFORMS FOR SUBMARINE TECHNOLOGY INDUCTION: REVIEW AND WAY AHEAD

摘要

Prototypes for technology induction are rare for submarines. In the second half of the 20th century, several design prototypes were built in the USA and the erstwhile USSR as test platforms for radical new submarine technologies. These one-of-a-kind prototypes represented advances in hydrodynamics, propulsion, silencing, materials and payload that led to incorporation of new features in series production. In the present scenario of shrinking numbers of submarines in most navies, prototypes appear to be an unaffordable luxury. Their alternatives for new technology induction are discussed. Proposals are offered for fostering technological innovations, and for scheduling induction timelines for better management of the development process.