BMT SSGT Submarine

Requirements 

Our SSGT concept design is a high mobility non-nuclear submarine with the approach and mobility of SSNs whilst retaining the advantages of the SSK.

The SSGT design offers a high speed, long endurance transit capability, made possible by an innovative propulsion design.

SSGT’s range, speed and endurance, both when in transit and on station, are wholly beyond the capabilities of current and forthcoming SSKs. BMT's concept design offers high mobility through key features including:

• sustained transits at 20 knots for many thousands of nautical miles
• fully covert mobility on station for at least 25 days whilst operating a high capability combat suite
• high speed ‘sprints’ up to 30 knots to gain tactical advantage

Solutions 

The versatility and endurance capabilities that SSGT can sustain are made possible by an innovative propulsion design, which uses twin independent gas turbine-alternator sets, housed in the ‘bulb’ on top of the fin.

When semi-submerged, SSGT can operate at a fast transit mode, achieved by its gas turbines burning kerosene with air inducted through an extendible mast.

When SSGT has slower, more covert requirements, services and propulsion power is provided by fuel cell stacks using the reaction of hydrogen with air drawn in through a snort mast.

Benefits 

On station, covert tactical mobility is achieved using the fuel cells in full Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) mode.

In this mode, sprints of up to 30 knots are made possible by power drawn from a large advanced Zebra battery.

The SSGT design includes a flexible mix of vertical and horizontal weapon discharge tubes, as well as UUV stowage to satisfy a range of mission profiles.

These systems have sufficient energy stored to operate them.