Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Friday, October 30, 2026

Somewhere in the Eastern Pacific, a snorkel mast skims the ocean's surface, the only visible sign of a vessel lurking below. An encrypted signal arrives, carrying target data. The vessel rises, revealing a distinctive trimaran hull unlike that of any other navy's submarine. This unique configuration provides greater stability on the surface. Moments later, two large hangars built into the central hull slide open, and 16 missile tubes rise into firing position. Nearly 1,500 km (930 miles) away, an enemy carrier battle group lies within range. This is no ordinary submarine; it is a vessel unlike any other in the world.

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The vessel is clearly submersible but, as indicated by its prominent snorkel, is intended to run on diesels even when submerged. Its trimaran hull form, with outrigger hulls towards the stern, appears optimised for surface transit and stability on the surface. This latter factor may be a driver since the missile tubes, when erected, must make the vessel somewhat top heavy.

Dr. Rachel Pawling, Principal Consultant at K39 Consulting and lecturer in ship design, has calculated the vessel's likely internal make-up. She estimates that the ship displaces around 900 tonnes fully submerged.

Dr. Pawling notes that the weapons hangars take up so much volume, that the rest of the internal space must be extremely cramped. So much so, that it appears unlikely that there is space for a crew. Yet the vessel has an open navigation bridge on top of its fin (sail). The obvious explanation is that this is only for a human pilot during entering and exiting ports. Most large uncrewed vessels have some form of bridge like this to simplify port operations.

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