Much has been written in these pages about the AUKUS delusion: Of how it was haphazardly and secretly put together by Scott Morrison to wedge the then Labor Opposition, about the elasticity of its costings, the improbability of Australia ever acquiring any of the proposed submarines, the enormous cost of the project, the effectiveness of it as best means of defence, indeed whether defence is actually its raison d’etre, and the loss of Australian sovereignty it brings.
The delusion now however, has just turned to a nightmare. Given the protracted timeframe of AUKUS, extending into the 2050s, perhaps 60s, there was always the high probability that submarine detection technology would advance to a point where it would make it impossible for the prowling monsters of the deep to remain covert. That supposition is now on the verge of, if not already, being reality.
Chinese scientists have in the past month announced a major breakthrough in submarine detection, successfully created a radio-emitting source in the sky using high-energy microwave synthesis technology.
The project utilises drones, emitting radio waves, traveling at almost the speed of light, which bounce off underwater vessels, before returning to the radar at roughly the same speed. These converge in the sky to create a virtual radio-emitting source. As one source dissipates, another is instantly generated, ensuring a continuous flow of low-frequency signals. As such it can be called a ‘ghost’ radar.
The result is that the radar can detect submarines at astonishing speeds, allowing the Chinese military to react quickly to naval threats.
The claim was made in a study published on November 25 in the Chinese academic journal Modern Radar, with Li Daojing, the lead researcher from at the National Key Laboratory of Microwave Imaging of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, calling it, ‘disruptive technology.’
When exposed to signals with frequencies as low as 100Hz, the radar cross-section (a measure of the detectability of an object) of a nuclear submarine in seawater can reach up to 88 square metres, making it possible, the researchers assert, to detect underwater targets using ‘common magnetic detectors.’ The installation of these compact detectors on drones, they claim, means ‘gradient detection of targets across the entire field can be achieved.’
ELF signals, with wavelengths longer than 100 metres, typically require large distances between massive antenna units. Li’s team, however, has reduced the length of the emitting array to just 100 metres, making it possible to easily install these antennas on Chinese naval ships.
The high-frequency, high-power electromagnetic waves emitted by these antennas converge in the sky to create a virtual radio-emitting source. As one source dissipates, another is instantly generated, ensuring a continuous flow of low-frequency signals.
This technology also has potential applications for communication between surface ships and submarines, with an effective range of up to 6,000 km, according to the scientists’ calculations.
Ground-based technical verification has already been completed, with the next step being to further shorten the length of the emitting array to about 30 metres for more flexible applications.
All this doesn’t bode well for any prospective submariners daring to take the plunge, with these expensive submarines looking ever more like very expensive metal coffins.
As for AUKUS? $368 billion (and no doubt more to come)! Oh, well, its only money (likely sunk).
John Queripel is a Newcastle-based historian, theologian, social commentator and published author of four books. His latest book, 'In Wisdom and in Passion: Comparing and Contrasting Buddha and Christ' has just been released. His blog may be found at www.johnqueripelblog.com.Substack / https://johnqueripel.substack.com
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