Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Submarines and Submarine Cable Systems glossary

The submarine and subsea-cable vocabulary: submarine sonar subsystems (acoustic intercept receiver, acoustic signature), named cable systems (AAE-1) and their consortia, and the boat-class, propulsion, and cable-route terms. Grounds each term in the submarine system or the cable system it belongs to.

395 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A1 Telekom Austria: European telecommunications operator with consortium stakes in several Mediterranean and Black Sea submarine cable systems.
AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Europe-1): Approximately 25,000 km submarine cable system connecting Hong Kong to Marseille via Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, in service since 2017.
Acoustic Intercept Receiver: Submarine sonar subsystem that passively detects pulses from hostile active sonars and torpedo seekers.
Acoustic signature: Underwater noise spectrum radiated by the propeller and shaft line, governed by cavitation, blade rate, and shaft eccentricity.
Active Sonar: Sonar emitting pulses and listening for echoes.
ADCAP (Advanced Capability): Designation for the upgraded Mk 48 Mod 6 and Mod 7 heavyweight torpedo variants used by the US Navy.
Africa-1: Submarine cable system planned to link East and North Africa with Europe and the Middle East along the African coast.
Africa-2 (2Africa): Submarine cable system encircling the African continent, sponsored by Meta with partners including China Mobile International, MTN, Orange, Saudi Telecom, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and WIOCC, with…
Aft Escape Trunk: Pressure-rated chamber providing crew escape access from the aft compartment of a submarine.
AIP (Air-Independent Propulsion): Submarine propulsion enabling extended submerged endurance.
Akula class: Soviet Project 971 SSN nuclear attack submarine.
Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN): French submarine cable manufacturer and installer headquartered in Nozay, supplying systems including 2Africa, MAREA, and Dunant.
Alfa-class: Soviet Project 705 Lira titanium-hulled fast attack submarine class, now retired.
AN/BLQ-10: US Navy submarine electronic support measures (ESM) system providing signals intercept and direction finding.
AN/BPS-15: US Navy submarine surface-search and navigation radar.
AN/BQQ-10: US Navy submarine sonar processing system fielded across SSN and SSBN platforms.
AN/BQQ-21: US Navy submarine integrated sonar suite associated with later Los Angeles and Seawolf class upgrades.
AN/BRR-6: US Navy submarine VLF/LF communications buoy receiver system.
AN/BST-1: US Navy submarine communications buoy associated with strategic communications relay.
AN/BYG-1: Combat control system common to US, Australian, and Royal Navy submarine forces.
Anchor cable: Chain or rope connecting the anchor to the vessel.
Anjana: Microsoft-sponsored trans-Atlantic submarine cable system planned between Virginia Beach and Sopelana, Spain.
Anode: Metallic component sacrificed or driven electrochemically to protect a steel structure from corrosion.
ARA San Juan: Argentine TR-1700 class submarine lost in the South Atlantic in 2017.
Arihant class: Indian Navy SSBN with K-15 and K-4 SLBMs.
Armored Cable: Submarine cable with one or more layers of galvanized steel wire armor providing mechanical protection in shallow or trawled waters.
Articulated Pipe: Series of interlocking cast-iron or polymer half-shells installed around a cable at landfalls and crossings to provide abrasion and impact protection.
ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd: Singapore-based joint venture cable ship operator whose fleet includes CS Asean Restorer.
Astute class: Royal Navy SSN with Spearfish and Tomahawk Block IV.
Atlas Elektronik: German naval electronics firm whose VTS portfolio includes coastal surveillance radars.
Attack-class: Cancelled Royal Australian Navy diesel-electric submarine program based on the French Shortfin Barracuda design, terminated in 2021.
AUKUS: Trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced in September 2021, including a pillar on nuclear-powered submarines.
Australian Submarine Agency: Australian Government agency established in 2023 to deliver the AUKUS conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability.
AUTEC (Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center): US Navy submarine and torpedo test range in the Bahamas.

B

Backshell: Mechanical housing component at the termination of a submarine cable.
Ballast Tank: Tank dedicated to seawater ballast; close-up surveyed under Enhanced Survey Programme.
Barents Sea: Shelf sea of the Arctic Ocean north of Norway and Russia.
Barracuda class: French SSN, also called Suffren class, lead boat Suffren S 635.
Bathythermograph: Expendable probe (XBT) measuring temperature profile versus depth from a moving ship.
Battery Compartment: Lower-level submarine space containing main propulsion or auxiliary batteries.
Bay to Bay Express (BtoBE): Trans-Pacific submarine cable system sponsored by Facebook, Amazon, and China Mobile International, ready for service in 2018.
Beach Manhole (BMH): Onshore vault at a cable landing site where the submarine cable transitions to the terrestrial backhaul cable.
Bend Restrictor: Polymer or steel device fitted to flexible risers and umbilicals to limit local curvature and prevent overbending during installation and service.
Bend Stiffener: Tapered polyurethane structure at the top of flexible flowlines and umbilicals that controls dynamic curvature at the hangoff.
BIS (Bureau of Industry and Security): US Department of Commerce agency regulating export of dual-use submarine and cable technologies.
Black Shark: Italian Leonardo heavyweight torpedo for SSK and SSN.
Blocking Capacitor: Component in submarine cable Power Feed Equipment that prevents low-frequency current intrusion.
Blowing Tanks: Procedure of expelling water from ballast tanks with compressed air to surface a submarine.
Borei class: Russian Project 955 SSBN carrying RSM-56 Bulava.
BPS (Branching Unit Power Supply): Power management element within a submarine cable branching unit.
Branching Unit (BU): Underwater equipment in a submarine cable system that splits or joins fibers and powers between branches.
BritNed: HVDC interconnector between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, 260 km long and rated at 1,000 MW, commissioned in 2011.
Buffer Tube: Loose-tube fiber housing inside a submarine cable core.
Bulava (RSM-56): Russian solid-fueled submarine-launched ballistic missile carried by Borei-class SSBNs.
Bulkhead: Vertical partition dividing a ship into compartments.
Burial Assessment Survey (BAS): Pre-installation geophysical study assessing seabed soil suitability for cable trenching or jetting.
Burial Depth of Lowering: Specified depth to which a submarine cable is buried below the seabed.

C

Cable Drum: Rotating storage unit aboard a cable ship for paying out or recovering submarine cable.
Cable Engine: Linear or wheel-based machine on a cableship that grips the cable and provides tension control during lay and recovery.
Cable Innovator: Global Marine cable repair and installation vessel with a long service record on submarine telecommunications and power cables.
Cable Landing Station (CLS): Onshore facility where submarine cables connect to terrestrial networks.
Cable Plough: Towed seabed implement that jets or cuts a trench and simultaneously installs cable.
Cable Repair Agreement: Regional cooperative framework, such as the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement, pooling cable ship resources for repair.
Cable Ship (CS): Specialized vessel designed for laying, repairing, and maintaining submarine cables.
Cable Tank: Below-deck cylindrical storage tank for coiling submarine cable.
Caisson: Large concrete box used in quay walls and dry docks.
Calais Factory: Alcatel Submarine Networks manufacturing site in northern France producing submarine optical cable.
Carbon dioxide scrubber: Lime or amine bed inside CA unit removing excess CO2 from cargo respiration.
Carlsbad: California city housing the SubCom systems integration facility.
Cavitation: Vapor bubble formation when local pressure falls below vapor pressure.
Celtic Interconnector: HVDC interconnector planned between Ireland and France, rated 700 MW, with commissioning targeted in the mid-2020s.
Centroid Position: Calculated mid-point of cable slack used during repair grapnel runs.
Chang Bogo-class: Republic of Korea Navy Type 209/1200 diesel-electric submarine class, designated KSS-I.
Chelmsford: English town where Global Marine Group is headquartered.
Cherbourg: French port that hosted OpenHydro manufacturing and is involved in tidal and offshore renewable supply chains.
CIPRNet (Critical Infrastructure): Designation framework treating submarine cables as critical national infrastructure in many jurisdictions.
Circulator: Optical component within submarine cable repeaters that directs light by port.
Collins-class: Royal Australian Navy diesel-electric submarine class of six boats built by ASC at Osborne, South Australia.
Columbia class: USN SSBN-826, replacement for Ohio class with Trident II D5LE.
Conformal Array: Flank-mounted submarine sonar array conforming to the hull shape.
Connecticut, USS (SSN-22): Second Seawolf-class US Navy fast attack submarine.
Continuous Wave (CW): Optical signal regime within DWDM submarine cable transmission.
Cook Inlet: Alaskan waterway crossed by domestic submarine power and telecommunication cables.
Crew Hot Bunking: Submarine practice of sharing bunks between watches due to limited berths.
CS Bahay: Cable ship operated by Hengtong Marine Cable.
CS Cable Innovator: SubCom-operated cable ship known for transoceanic system installation.
CS Henry Dennison: Cable ship operated by Alcatel Submarine Networks Marine.
CS Ile de Brehat: ASN Marine cable repair ship based in France.
CS Ile de Re: ASN Marine cable repair vessel based in France.
CS Pacific Guardian: SubCom cable ship operating Pacific-region installations.
CS Pierre de Fermat: ASN Marine cable lay and repair vessel.
CS Polar Prince: Canadian historic vessel, originally a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, more recently associated with subsea operations.
CS Skagerrak: Nexans cable installation vessel.
CS Wave Sentinel: Global Marine cable ship operating in Atlantic maintenance zones.
Cutter Suction Trencher: Subsea trenching machine using rotating cutters for hard-soil burial of cables.

D

Davit: Curved crane for hoisting and lowering boats and stores.
DCNS: French naval prime contractor, since 2017 Naval Group.
Deck Tensioner: Linear cable engine on a cable ship's deck for controlling cable pay-out tension.
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV): Submersible for stricken-submarine rescue.
Defueling: Process of removing nuclear fuel from a decommissioned submarine reactor.
Delivery Authority (Submarine Delivery Agency): UK Ministry of Defence agency responsible for procuring and supporting British submarines.
Diesel-Electric Submarine (SSK): Conventionally powered submarine.
Direct Burial: Submarine cable installation method placing the cable directly into a trenched seabed.
DM2A4 Seehecht: German Atlas Elektronik heavyweight torpedo.
Dolphin-class: Israeli submarine class built by HDW Kiel, including AIP-equipped Dolphin II boats.
Dosan Ahn Changho-class: Republic of Korea Navy KSS-III submarine class with vertical launch capability.
Double hull: Submarine construction with separate pressure and outer hulls.
Dreadnought-class: Royal Navy next-generation ballistic missile submarine class, replacing the Vanguard-class.
Dry Deck Shelter (DDS): Removable structure mounted on submarines to deploy special operations forces.
Dunant: Google-sponsored trans-Atlantic submarine cable system, approximately 6,400 km, employing space-division multiplexing.
DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing): Optical transmission technique used on submarine cable systems to carry many wavelengths on each fiber pair.

E

East-West Interconnector: HVDC submarine interconnector between Ireland and Wales, 261 km long, rated 500 MW, commissioned in 2012.
EBASE: Electric Boat-led submarine acoustic signature evaluation framework.
EDFA (Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier): Optical amplifier technology used inside submarine cable repeaters to extend reach.
ElecLink: HVDC interconnector between the United Kingdom and France routed through the Channel Tunnel, 51 km long and rated 1,000 MW, energized in 2022.
Electric Boat (General Dynamics Electric Boat): US submarine builder headquartered at Groton, Connecticut, lead shipyard for Virginia and Columbia classes.
ELF (Extremely Low Frequency): Radio band used to communicate with submerged submarines at very low data rates.
EllaLink: 6,200 km submarine cable connecting Sines, Portugal, with Fortaleza, Brazil, in service since 2021.
End-of-Life Reactor Compartment Disposal: Defueling and burial of nuclear submarine reactor compartments at Hanford, Washington.
Equiano: Google-sponsored submarine cable from Lisbon to Cape Town with branches in West Africa, ready for service in 2022.
Escape Tower: Pressure-rated vertical trunk in a submarine designed for crew escape at depth.
Etisalat: UAE-based telecommunications operator with consortium membership in regional submarine cable systems.

F

Fan-Out Unit: Submarine cable accessory that branches cable fibers to individual pigtails at terminations.
FASTER: Trans-Pacific submarine cable system completed in 2016, linking Japan to the US West Coast, with Google among consortium members.
Fiber Pair: Pair of optical fibers carrying transmit and receive signals in a submarine cable.
Final Burial Depth: Verified seabed depth of cable cover post-installation, typically established by post-lay burial survey.
Fire-Control System: Submarine combat system component computing torpedo and missile firing solutions.
Flank Array: Long passive sonar array mounted along the submarine's hull flanks.
Forward Escape Trunk: Forward-section pressure-rated escape chamber on US Navy SSNs and SSBNs.
France Telecom Marine: Former cable ship operator, predecessor of Orange Marine.
Free Flooding Area: External submarine volume continuously open to sea pressure.
Frequency Shift Keying (FSK): Modulation used historically on undersea cable telegraph and some VLF submarine links.
Frigate-Sonar Cross Reference: Tactical practice of correlating submarine and surface sonar data in ASW operations.

G

GBS (Guided Bomb Submarine integration): Not commonly used; reserved for specialized strike submarine concepts under study.
General Dynamics Electric Boat: Lead constructor of US Navy Virginia and Columbia-class submarines.
General Dynamics Mission Systems: Current owner of the Bluefin Robotics AUV product line after acquiring Bluefin from Battelle.
Global Marine Group: UK headquartered subsea cable installation and maintenance company, operator of cableships including Cable Innovator and Sovereign.
Goa Shipyard: Indian state shipbuilder at Vasco da Gama building coast guard and naval vessels.
Golf-class: Soviet Project 629 ballistic missile submarine class, retired.
Grace Hopper: Google-sponsored trans-Atlantic submarine cable system linking the US, UK, and Spain, ready for service in 2022.
Grapnel: Small anchor with four or more flukes.
Grapnel Run: Cable ship maneuver in which a grapnel is dragged across the seabed to engage a target cable.
Greenlink: Ireland UK HVDC interconnector sharing seabed corridors with offshore wind cable routes.
Groton: Connecticut city hosting Naval Submarine Base New London and General Dynamics Electric Boat.

H

Halden: Norwegian town hosting Nexans submarine cable manufacturing facilities.
Harpoon (UGM-84): Submarine-launched anti-ship missile variant in service with several navies.
HDW (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft): German submarine builder at Kiel, now part of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
Hengtong Marine Cable: Chinese submarine cable manufacturer and installer.
Hipoint Burial: Cable burial concept maintaining cover at seabed crests as well as troughs.
HMN Technologies: Chinese submarine cable system supplier, formerly Huawei Marine Networks.
HMS Agamemnon: Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarine.
HMS Agincourt: Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarine.
HMS Ambush: Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarine.
HMS Anson: Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarine.
HMS Artful: Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarine.
HMS Astute: Lead boat of the Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarines.
HMS Audacious: Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarine.
HMS Vanguard: Lead Royal Navy SSBN with Trident II D5.
HMS Vengeance: Royal Navy Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine.
HMS Victorious: Royal Navy Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine.
HMS Vigilant: Royal Navy Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine.
Holding Compartment: Watertight cargo or auxiliary compartment within a submarine.
Holy Stone: Operational name historically associated with Cold War US submarine intelligence missions.
Hostile Marine Operations Center: Generic term for cable operator centers monitoring threats to subsea infrastructure.
HSCS (Hong Kong-Guam Submarine Cable): Trans-Pacific cable system NEC-built segment associated with 2020 service entry.
Hull number: Alphanumeric designation, e.g., CVN-78, used by USN for unique ship identification.
Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding: US shipyard co-producing Virginia-class submarines with Electric Boat.
HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current): Transmission technology used on most long submarine power interconnectors.
Hyunmoo SLBM (submarine-launched variant): South Korean ballistic missile variant deployable from KSS-III submarines.

I

IFA-2: HVDC interconnector between the United Kingdom and France, 240 km long and rated 1,000 MW, energized in 2021.
In-Line Amplifier: Optical repeater housing along a submarine cable to boost signal strength.
Incidental Cable Damage Report: Industry record of cable faults caused by anchors, trawls, or natural hazards.
Indigo: Submarine cable system linking Singapore and Australia, ready for service in 2019, supplied by SubCom.
Inertial Navigation System (INS): Self-contained dead-reckoning system.
INS Aridhaman: Indian Navy Arihant-class ballistic missile submarine, third of class.
INS Arighaat: Indian Navy Arihant-class ballistic missile submarine, second of class.
INS Arihant: Indian Navy first indigenous SSBN, commissioned 2016.
INS Kalvari: Lead boat of the Indian Navy Kalvari-class Scorpene submarines.
INS Karanj: Indian Navy Kalvari-class Scorpene submarine.
INS Khanderi: Indian Navy Kalvari-class Scorpene submarine.
INS Vagir: Indian Navy Kalvari-class Scorpene submarine.
INS Vagsheer: Indian Navy Kalvari-class Scorpene submarine.
INS Vela: Indian Navy Kalvari-class Scorpene submarine.
Inverter Substation: Onshore facility converting HVDC submarine power link energy to AC for grid feed-in.
Iridium L-band Satcom: Communications service used by submarine support vessels and surfaced submarines.
IT International Telecom: Canadian submarine cable services provider.

J

Jet Trencher: Tracked or skidded subsea vehicle that fluidizes seabed sediments to embed cables and small pipelines.
JL-2 SLBM: Chinese submarine-launched ballistic missile carried by Type 094 SSBNs.
JL-3 SLBM: Chinese submarine-launched ballistic missile of newer generation associated with later Type 094 and Type 096 SSBNs.
JS Soryu: Lead boat of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Soryu-class submarines.
JS Taigei: Lead boat of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Taigei-class submarines, commissioned in 2022.
JUPITER: Trans-Pacific submarine cable system connecting Japan, the Philippines, and California, ready for service in 2020.

K

K-141 Kursk: Russian Project 949A Oscar-II class submarine lost in the Barents Sea in 2000.
K-15 Sagarika: Indian Navy SLBM on Arihant class with 750 km range.
K-4: Indian Navy intermediate-range SLBM with 3,500 km range.
K-5: Indian submarine-launched ballistic missile under development for longer range.
K15 Reactor: French pressurized water reactor by Naval Group powering Triomphant and Suffren-class submarines.
Kalvari-class: Indian Navy Scorpene-derived diesel-electric submarine class built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
Karlskrona: Swedish royal naval base founded in 1680 on the Baltic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kazan: Russian Yasen-M Project 885M submarine and namesake of the Yasen-M subclass commissioning sequence.
Kiel: German Baltic cruise port.
Kilo class: Soviet/Russian Project 877/636.3 diesel-electric submarine.
Kockums: Swedish submarine designer and builder, part of Saab Kockums, originator of Stirling AIP.
KSS-I: Republic of Korea Navy first-generation submarine program based on Type 209/1200.
KSS-II: Republic of Korea Navy second-generation submarine program based on Type 214 with AIP.
KSS-III: Republic of Korea Navy third-generation submarine program, Dosan Ahn Changho-class.

L

Lay vessel: Vessel performing submarine cable installation.
Lazy Wave Configuration: Riser cable layout including buoyancy modules used in dynamic subsea connections.
Lima Charlie: Maritime callsign abbreviation occasionally used in submarine operations communications.
Lithium-Ion Battery Submarine: Submarine fitted with lithium-ion main batteries in place of lead-acid, exemplified by later Soryu and Taigei boats.
Lockheed Martin: U.S. defense contractor that has supplied bridge, navigation, and combat-system simulators to the U.S. Navy and allied services.
Los Angeles-class: US Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine class, the largest SSN class ever built.
LS Cable & System: Korean cable manufacturer producing submarine power cables.

M

M51 SLBM: French submarine-launched ballistic missile carried by Triomphant-class SSBNs.
Mailbuoy: Submerged communications buoy released by submarines for delayed message transmission.
MAREA: 6,600 km transatlantic submarine cable from Virginia Beach to Bilbao, owned by Microsoft, Meta, and Telxius, in service since 2018.
Marine Cable Maintenance: Industry function performed by dedicated cable ships under regional agreements.
Marine Nationale: French Navy, operator of Suffren-class and Triomphant-class submarines.
Maritime Survey: Pre-installation survey to characterize the planned cable route.
Marseille: French Mediterranean cruise port and base for Costa and MSC operations.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL): Indian shipyard at Mumbai constructing Kalvari-class Scorpene submarines.
MBDA: European missile prime contractor providing submarine-launched cruise missiles for European navies.
MESMA AIP: French air-independent propulsion system originally developed by DCNS, now Naval Group.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge bisecting the Atlantic.
Midshipman Tubes: Vertical launch tubes positioned amidships on some submarines.
Mine Countermeasures Mission Package: Modular payload some submarines can carry for mine-related operations.
Mk 48 ADCAP Torpedo: US Navy heavyweight wire-guided submarine torpedo with the Advanced Capability upgrade family.
Multibeam echo sounder: Hull or pole mounted sonar that ensonifies a swath of seabed in a single ping to produce high-resolution bathymetry.

N

N-Hull Submarine: Sometimes-used reference to nuclear-powered hull types.
NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS): Trinational rescue system serving France, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Naval Group: French naval prime contractor, formerly DCNS.
Naval Reactors: Joint US Department of Energy and US Navy program responsible for naval nuclear propulsion.
Navigation Periscope: Submarine periscope optimized for high-speed surface awareness.
NCP (New Cross Pacific): Trans-Pacific submarine cable system ready for service in 2018.
NEC Corporation: Japanese submarine cable systems supplier with manufacturing at OCC Kitakyushu.
NEXANS: French cable manufacturer producing HVDC and HVAC submarine power cables at its Halden facility in Norway.
NKT: Danish manufacturer of HVDC and HVAC submarine power cables, with factories in Karlskrona, Sweden, and Cologne, Germany.
NordLink: 1,400 MW HVDC submarine cable between Tonstad, Norway, and Wilster, Germany, fully commissioned in 2021.
North Sea Link: HVDC interconnector between the United Kingdom and Norway, 720 km long and rated 1,400 MW, commissioned in 2021.
Novorossiysk: Russian Project 636.3 Improved Kilo class submarine.

O

OCC Corporation: Japanese submarine cable manufacturer at Kitakyushu, partner of NEC.
Octans North Atlantic: Reference to North Atlantic operational area for submarines and cable ships.
Ohio class: USN SSBN-726 Trident submarine, 14 boomers and 4 SSGNs.
OK-650 Reactor: Russian naval pressurized water reactor used in several modern submarine classes.
Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (OADM): Network element allowing addition or extraction of wavelengths in submarine cable systems.
Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR): Instrument used to locate faults along submarine optical cables.
Orange Marine: French submarine cable installation and maintenance operator, subsidiary of Orange.
Oscar-II class: Russian Project 949A nuclear cruise missile submarine class, including K-141 Kursk.
Outer Hull: Double-hull structure with ballast wing tanks isolating CCS from collision.

P

Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN): Trans-Pacific cable between Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and California, with operational segments after 2020 regulatory changes.