What It’s REALLY Like Hunting Enemy Submarines

(game videos) Jive Turkey Live:    / @jiveturkeylive   (lecture series) Sub Brief:    / @subbrief   (live streams every Wed. & Fri.) Sonar and Steel:    / @sonarandsteel   (company Website) https://www.subbrief.com/ What is it actually like to serve aboard a nuclear submarine? Former US Navy sonar operator Aaron Amick joins me to explain the reality of submarine warfare, from the training pipeline and sonar school to real Cold War patrols tracking Russian submarines. We discuss how sonar operators identify ships purely by sound, what happens when another submarine appears unexpectedly beneath the sea, life during months-long deployments without surfacing, submarine tactics, acoustic intelligence, and why experience matters far more than technology. Aaron also shares stories from operational patrols, close encounters with Russian anti-submarine forces, the psychology of life underwater, and some of the strangest things ever detected beneath the ocean. Whether you’re interested in submarines, naval warfare or simply how military professionals operate in one of the world’s most demanding environments, this is a fascinating look inside the Silent Service. 0:00 Introduction 1:50 Welcome to Aaron and episode outline 4:20 Inspiration to become a submariner 8:17 Sonar A School 10:38 Merchant ship vs warship acoustic signatures 13:13 Did it come naturally, and what happened to those who washed out? 16:07 Understanding the LOFARgram (the “waterfall” display) 19:20 The first time detecting another submarine 20:45 The submarine tactics playbook and how it is learned 28:47 The training cadre 32:28 Aaron’s YouTube channels 35:04 Two years in the Navy before setting foot on a submarine 37:13 Life aboard the Los Angeles and Ohio classes: living conditions, accommodation and watch rotations 44:20 Can you talk normally inside a submarine? 45:32 Deployments vs getting underway, knowing where you’re going, and the perks of being a sonarman 51:00 The first operational mission during the aftermath of the USS Baton Rouge collision 56:35 Experience versus knowledge: the psychological and emotional challenge 1:00:25 Six-hour watches: staring at the LOFAR display and staying alert 1:04:16 Managing multiple contacts and building situational awareness 1:08:30 The evolution of sensor fusion and communicating the tactical picture 1:13:38 The last shower before a mission… and living with the smell 1:16:08 The longest time spent underwater 1:17:30 Medical emergencies at sea 1:20:55 The Udaloy encounter 1:30:04 Understanding the adversary 1:33:00 Maintaining close formation with another submarine 1:36:22 Views on Russian and Chinese submarine forces 1:42:53 Synthetic aperture radar from space 1:45:08 Aaron’s journey as a sonarman 1:48:04 Underwater UAPs and unexplained contacts 1:55:14 The final mission 1:58:55 Did the career meet or exceed expectations? 2:01:00 Does Modern Naval Warfare bring frustration or fond memories? 2:03:05 The SubBrief team 2:05:20 The “last last” question: taking content down 2:07:40 Wrapping up