Home > Science Fact Finder > Communication - How Do Submerged Submarines Communicate?

Communication - How Do Submerged Submarines Communicate?

How do submerged submarines communicate?

Submarines can communicate underwater by radio, using a range of frequencies. One factor in determining the communication frequency used by a submarine is whether or not it is important to keep the submarine's location concealed.

Submarines seldom transmit on long-range high radio frequencies if detection is important, such as in warfare. That's because using high frequencies requires that the boat show an antenna or send a buoy to the surface. If detection is not a concern, then the best bands for communicating with aircraft, surface ships, satellites, or the parties on shore are Super (SHF), Ultra (UHF), or Very High Frequency (VHF). Extremely low-frequency (ELF) radio waves, which are harder to detect, are proving an attractive option for submarine communication systems.

Sources: "Electromagnetic Radiation: Radio Waves." Encyclopaedia Britannica...

[The entire page is 161 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the: