Antisubmarine Aviation

a combat arm of naval aviation assigned to fight submarines and to escort warships and transports in convoys and landing detachments during a sea crossing.

Antisubmarine aviation performs its missions independently and in coordination with antisubmarine ships and other naval forces and means. The search for submarines is conducted by search-assault groups consisting of several airplanes or helicopters, and the enemy is destroyed by depth charges, torpedoes, and missiles.

Antisubmarine aviation as a combat arm appeared in World War II. At first aircraft flew at elevations of 400‣500 m and visually detected submarines underwater, using illuminating bombs and aircraft searchlights at night. During the war, radar sets were adopted for aircraft, followed by sonobuoys, magnetic detectors, and depth charges. With the appearance of nuclear missile submarines after the war, antisubmarine aviation developed further. Present-day antisubmarine aviation has radioelectronic equipment that makes it possible to collect, process, and transmit data on detected submarines and to control antisubmarine weapons. Antisubmarine aviation includes antisubmarine planes and helicopters and is divided into shore-based and shipborne aviation.