Let the Hunt for Red October Begin

The title of a recent ASME SmartBrief instantly caught my eye, "China has tested silent 'Red October' drive." The reference to "Red October" is from the fictional book and subsequent movie "The Hunt for Red October." In the story, the Red October is an advanced Russian submarine powered by a magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD), which because this drive has no moving parts it is virtually silent. The drama of the book and movie is that such a submarine could approach the coast of the United States undetected and launch nuclear missiles before our defense system would even know such a vessel was present.

An article in the International Business Times (IBT) says that China has tested a full scale vessel powered by this MHD technology in the South China Sea, though there are no specific details or any photos of the vessel. It would not be surprising that this new technology could be used in the same role as the fictional Red October. Other countries, including the United States, are involved in developing this technology as well, however China is clearly in the lead.

As a side note, and since I was in Naval Aviation, the IBT article does have this impressive photo of China's only aircraft carrier. From the upward shape of the forward deck, it appears the carrier launches what are called "jump jets," aircraft requiring little to no runway to take off or land.

In 1890, Alfred Thayer Mahan's book "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" was published and became one of the most influential books of all time. Sea Power has and does and will continue to influence our lives and therefore our history. The realization of the "Red October" drive begins another chapter in that history. -Dr Tom

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