logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
44m 21s

Submarine Command and Control

Peter Roberts
About this episode

Imagine sitting on a battlefield and trying to figure out what is happening with only your ears to guide you; your guidance is based on orders written weeks or months ago, and the last time you got an update of where your own forces where was a day old (at best). That, in essence, is submarine warfare. There is no constant information flow for situational awareness and communication (of any kind) endangers your existence; so submarine commanders are required to make decisions based on a series of assumptions about a myriad of variables and use their experience, judgement, advice from their team, and a deep understanding of their adversary. Building people who can do this – so different to most other warfare experiences – requires a special process: The Perisher. Peter talks to Phil Titterton about command and control of submarines, his experiences in the Royal Navy’s submarine service, and about waterspace management (submarine control measures). Now you can open your eyes.

Up next
Sep 15
Goldwater Nichols: Still fit for purpose?
Most people in the C2 world who would acknowledge the Goldwater Nichols reforms of the US military as one of the big muscle movements in command and control over the last 75 years. It provided the framework for how the US would run wars after 1986 and has had mixed success. But i ... Show More
33m 6s
Aug 18
The Unfair Fight (HQ Corps job)
It is the responsibility of the Corps level of command to set the conditions for a favourable and unfair fight at the tactical level: so says Major General Mike Keating, Chief of Staff at Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. The scale, complexity, and enduring nature of comb ... Show More
42m 44s
Jul 14
Reality checking industry offerings for C2
C2 systems litter headquarters – some have coalesced into a single machine, others spread across various apps, platforms, and systems. It’s a growing market place and one that can genuinely bamboozle with all the unmoderated lingo that goes with it. Claims that AI, ML, edge, and ... Show More
32m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Narcís Monturiol’s Submarines
Catalan inventor Narcís Monturiol fought for ideals like equality, freedom, and progress in the midst of a lot of social and political chaos in 19th-century upheavals in Spain and Catalonia. And then, he built submarines. Research: "Submarines." Gale World History Online Collecti ... Show More
46m 27s
Aug 13
577: Former Submarine Commander L. David Marquet on How Leaders Make Better Decisions
L. David Marquet, former nuclear submarine commander and author of Leadership Is Language, shares a precise, operational approach to leadership, one that replaces command-and-control with a language designed for clarity, ownership, and adaptability. Drawing on his experience turn ... Show More
55m 31s
Aug 2024
233 - Hearts of Steel: One sailor's Journey with the Royal Navy
In this episode of the WW2 podcast, we'll explore the Royal Navy from 1918 to the end of the Second World War and one man's career. Not an officer, but a regular sailor: Herbert Leeder, who chalk up 27 years of service. Following the career of one sailor is an interesting way to ... Show More
50m 58s
Dec 2017
Are there any real underwater military bases?
We've all seen the space-age secret bases in science fiction and blockbuster films, but could a government or corporation really build a secret, permanent deep-sea base? Where would they do it? Why? Join the guys as they dive into (get it?) the murky world of militaries beneath t ... Show More
57m 28s
Aug 2024
Q Ships
The Germans have invented an aquatic killing machine the likes of which the world has never known. If you are one of its victims, how do you trick sure death? By pulling an all-in audacious scheme that only works if you have the element of surprise. How long can the Royal Navy ke ... Show More
38m 32s
May 2025
OPERATION OCEAN: SECRETS DEEPER THAN ATLANTIS
The ocean covers over 70% of our planet, yet we’ve explored less than 5%. Why? What’s hiding beneath the waves that governments, militaries, and research institutions are desperate to keep buried? In this deep-dive episode, we uncover the chilling mystery behind Operation Ocean—a ... Show More
6m 53s
Jan 2025
The Mystery of The Confederate Sub
Submarines are the silent hunters of the deep. From the large nuclear-powered boats of today’s navies, to the German U-Boats of the First and Second World Wars, these machines hidden beneath the waves can change the course of history. In the United States, the first submersible w ... Show More
35m 18s
Apr 2025
The subsea war
The 'accidental' severing of undersea cables or pipelines seem an almost daily occurrence these days but how reliant are we on this infrastructure, how much of it is there, and what steps are being taken to protect it? Business and economics editor Douglas Fraser investigates who ... Show More
26m 29s
Feb 2025
CLASSIC: The WWII Naval Battle Won Using Potatoes
The U.S.S. O'Bannon was a Fletcher-class navy destroyer with an impressive array of weaponry and a solid track record in conflicts in WWII. However, even the most experienced sailors aren't perfect -- and when the O'Bannon happened upon a hapless Japanese submarine, both crew eng ... Show More
33m 34s