Passive Underwater Fire Control Feasibility System (or Study) (PUFFS) is a

passive sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on ...

system for

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

s. It was designated AN/BQG-4 and was primarily installed on

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

conventional submarines built in the 1950s beginning with the , and also those converted to

GUPPY The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) was initiated by the United States Navy after World War II to improve the submerged speed, maneuverability, and endurance of its submarines. (The "Y" in the acronym was added for pronouncea ...

III or otherwise modernized in the 1960s. It was also equipped on the nuclear-powered . It was also installed on the but never achieved operational status. Its transducers can be seen on pictures of the vessel. A version known as "Micropuffs" was fitted on s for the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

, and as Type 2041 on the ''Upholder''-class for the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. This class still serves in the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

as the ''Victoria'' class, where Micropuffs is known as BQG-501. The system was notable for three tall, fin-like domes topside, except on Micropuffs installations (''Tullibee'' had the second dome built into the aft end of the sail). The system was retained on several submarines transferred by the US to foreign navies. It was associated with long-range passive detection of targets for the Mark 45 nuclear torpedo and other weapons. Most submarines backfitted with it were also lengthened to accommodate additional electronics and plotting rooms. It was also planned for and

nuclear submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion ...

s, but was not fitted on them except Micropuffs experimentally on and . With the exception of the four Canadian ''Victoria''-class submarines, all PUFFS-equipped submarines have been disposed of or preserved as museum ships.

References

* {{Cite book , last=Alden , first=John D., Commander (USN Ret) , title=The Fleet Submarine in the U.S. Navy: A Design and Construction History , year=1979 , publisher=Arms and Armour Press , location=London , isbn=0-85368-203-8 *''Sub vs Sub'', Cdr R Compton Hall,

Orion Books Orion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It was founded in 1991 and acquired Weidenfeld & Nicolson the following year. The group has published numerous bestselling books by notable authors including Ian Rankin, Michael Connell ...

, 1989 Military sonar equipment of the United States Submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare

See also

References