The Diesel-Electric Submarine Threat: Ignore, Engage or Avoid?

The diesel-electric submarines proliferation on the global arms market presents a challenge to maritime component commanders supporting forward-deployed operations. There is a growing risk to regional CINCs that nations hostile to the United States will use their diesel-electric submarines for delaying and sea denial purposes. The negative affect of these actions on factor time will impact the efficient use of the operational factors of space and forces. Diesel-electric submarines can also attack operational and strategic centers of gravity. The maritime component commanders must balance risk, resource demands and the impact on factor time to choose from one of three possible courses of action 1 accept a high level of risk and ignore the threat, 2 lower the risk by engaging the threat or 3 minimize the risk by avoiding the submarines. This paper recommends a hold down version of the engagement option, using joint and combined forces, as the best approach against the diesel-electric threat.