Scientists in China have advanced their tech to detect stealth submarines. Their latest innovation can reportedly track the quietest underwater vessels easily. The innovation is expected to reshape naval warfare.

Developed by researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) in Xian, the groundbreaking discovery detects vessels by harnessing the magnetic fields generated by their wakes.

The team focused on studying the impact of Kelvin wake, a V-shaped wave pattern created by submarines or other ships while sailing. The waveforms are at a consistent angle due to the interaction of transverse and divergent waves.

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Kelvin wake creates detectable magnetic field

Chinese researchers revealed that Kelvin wake creates a faint but detectable magnetic field. It's generated as seawater ions interact with the Earth’s geomagnetic field after being disturbed by the submarine's motion.

Using numerical simulations, the researchers quantified how these magnetic signatures vary with a submarine’s speed, depth, and size. For example, increasing speed by 2.5 meters per second (8.2 feet per second) boosts magnetic intensity tenfold; reducing the depth by 20 meters (66 feet) doubles the field strength; and longer submarines produce weaker fields, while wider hulls amplify them.

Magnetic wakes persist long after a submarine passes

The team's findings published in the Journal of Harbin Engineering University reveal that the Kelvin wakes cannot be silenced, which the team uses to identify stealth vessels in waters.

Researchers also revealed that the Magnetic wakes could help China detect stealth submarines. Passes and leave footprints in the ocean’s magnetic fabric.

The method is claimed to be useful during a military conflict with Taiwan as the vast areas of shallow waters surround the island nation. However, like the Seawolf class, the United States submarines could slip through such waters undetected. But it's now being claimed that the Seawolf-class submarines could be detected using China's latest tech.

Seawolf-class submarines could be at risk of detection with latest tech

Equipped with advanced sensors, this submarine class is exceptionally quiet, fast, and well-armed. Instead of Vertical Launch System (VLS), the Seawolf class has eight torpedo tubes and can hold up to 50 weapons in its torpedo room.

It has a great diving depth of 600 meters, far exceeding the typical maximum diving depth of around 300 meters for ordinary submarines. Seawolf-class uses anechoic tiles on the exterior and a shock-absorbing floating raft system inside, making it almost undetectable by sonar even at a cruising speed of 20 knots.

However, a report claims that magnetic waves could add another layer to the kill web of Seawolf-class submarines. While no technology guarantees sub-detection, China is weaving magnetic tracking into a broader “kill web” that includes acoustic arrays, satellites, drones, and AI algorithms to fuse data streams.

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