Must be worrying about the high cost of fossil fuels. I would think they would be great for coastal defense.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,95378,00.html?ESRC=navy.nl

I don't have enough information to offer any qualified opinion. I thought diesel subs weren't stealthy. I see from the article that they are super stealthy while on battery, but since that isn't sustainable, it would take a lot more information to form a judgement. And since all the information seems to come from highly biased sources on matters of defense procurement, I'd need a rather tall stack of it to make an informed evaluation.

Diesel subs just don't make it, I speak from experience. They do not have the extended range, they are dangerous when you are charging the batteries, they have no where near the speed, their submerged time is limited and they need a lot more support than the SSNs while deployed. Our SSNs are without a doubt the quietest in the world, the soviets sounded like big coffee grinders. Talking about going back to diesel boats is like telling the Air Force to forget about the JSF and go back to P52s.

I don't have the numbers to make a case, but I bet you can get several Diesel electric boats for the price of one nuke boomer. I agree that they don't have the range or the sustainability of a nuke. However, for coastal duty on a regular rotation I would think they would be viable. Again, and as Salmo g said, I don't have the $ data to make a valid judgement. I wonder how much of the negative decision is political rather than tactical.
And what's the scoop on the permag electric motors they are talking about for the DD s. Would they be applicable to the diesel electrics.

i think the colombians use diesel subs.......

So do the N. Koreans and the Chinese. A sub can go anywhere in the Oceans of this planet. And the replenishment problem becomes nonexistant on a one way mission.

I had to register just to comment. My job in the Navy was to hunt subs. Nuc's are quiet and are only limited in "time to work" by food and the moral of the crew. As long as there is food there is no reason to come up ever. A Nuc compared to a diesel submarine on batteries is a "Noisy Pig". Think about a truck engine next to an electric golf cart and tell me which is noisier? Diesels are limited by air and battery charge, they can't make air so they have to come up and change it and recharge the batteries. Doesn't take long to do. So, in a contest of stealth the Diesel on Battery wins hands down. They are almost invisible. Cost a lot less then a nuc by far. (Sorry I barged in here to rant)

Kerry!!!

Thanks for the input. And welcome aboard. Keep your epee point up. Sea stories are always welcome. sparks said that.