Underwater Runways: A Dive into Submarine Aircraft Carriers

Since the dawn of modern warfare, military experts have experimented with strategies, tactics, and technologies that blur the lines between air, land, and sea. One of the most fascinating concepts to emerge from this is the idea of a submarine aircraft carrier. The concept, though technologically feasible, never moved beyond the blueprint stage due to a variety of reasons. In this opinion piece, we will examine these reasons, as well as the potential impact this concept might have had on military strategy.

Boeing and General Electric led the pack with their designs. Boeing’s concept, the AN1, focused on the recovery apparatus. In theory, it would be gyro-stabilized and could capture jets even in rough seas. However, the sheer weight and complexity of the device presented a significant problem. The AN1 design also considered housing Mach 4 or Mach 5 planes, and even nuclear rockets, foreshadowing the path future submarine designs would take. But the cost — $1.2 to $1.46 billion in today’s dollars — coupled with the inherent complexity of the project made it an elusive dream.

General Electric, on the other hand, proposed a gargantuan submarine capable of housing an entire fleet of fighter jets. Their designs accommodated various aircraft launch methods, including vertical and horizontal takeoffs. However, the sheer size of the submarine, the number of aircraft, and the necessity for a considerable crew size again brought us back to the central issue: cost. While the design was technically viable, the price tag of $2.34 billion in today’s money presented a considerable hurdle.

However, it was not just cost and complexity that rendered the concept of submarine aircraft carriers unfeasible. The inherent requirements of such a vessel — a robust structural integrity, an abnormally high floatation level for safe aircraft takeoffs, and a considerable time to launch all aircraft — introduced a plethora of issues.

By the late 60s, with the advent of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the concept of submarine aircraft carriers fell out of favor. The U.S. military found it more valuable to display their might with visible aircraft carriers than to hide them under the waves. However, in the early 2000s, DARPA commissioned Lockheed Martin to design a reusable drone aircraft that could be launched from an Ohio-class submarine. Despite the promising concept, funding was declined in 2007, and the idea sunk back beneath the waves.

While the ambitious concept of submarine aircraft carriers did not see the light of day in the past, it’s important to acknowledge that military innovation is often characterized by revisiting old concepts with new technologies and strategic paradigms.

Consider unmanned technology, for example. DARPA’s interest in Lockheed Martin’s reusable drone that could launch from a submarine may have been a precursor to a more automated, lean, and efficient future for these submarine aircraft carriers. In a world of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and drone technology, submarine-launched aircraft may not be as farfetched as it once seemed.

The Cormorant, as Lockheed’s drone was named, represented a technological evolution that could have revived the submarine aircraft carrier concept. Imagine a new generation of submarine carriers, no longer weighed down by massive crew requirements and replete with an array of autonomous drones capable of recon, defense, and offensive missions. Submarines, being stealthy by nature, would be able to deploy these drones closer to enemy lines, undetected.

It’s also worth noting that cost-effectiveness has been a primary stumbling block for the submarine aircraft carrier concept. With continuous advancements in 3D printing and other manufacturing technologies, the production of high-performance military equipment, including drones and even submarines, may become more economical in the future.

In conclusion, the idea of submarine aircraft carriers, while an old concept, is one that could be revisited through the lens of modern technological advancements. Whether or not it will ever be realized is uncertain, primarily due to the ethical, political, and logistical challenges associated. Still, it remains a fascinating case study of the continuous evolution and interplay between military strategy and technology. The concept, while not actively pursued today, stands as a testament to the bold ideas of engineers and military strategists of the past and continues to ignite our imaginations about what could be possible in the future.