A Tool for the Future Submarine Force

A faint trace appears on the starboard side of the screen, indicating something far away is making noise in the water. The young broadband operator listens and classifies it as biologics—just like the other hundreds of traces he has seen on this watch. It soon fades out—just like the other traces. There are a few contacts on the port side, merchant ships that have been tracked since the beginning of the watch. The watch team is searching for the new Chinese submarine. Intelligence says it left port under the cover of night heading east. Another thin trace on the starboard side, but as the broadband operator scrolls over to interrogate, a ping draws everyone’s attention back to port.