====== 2023-12-14 - SOKS ======

you probably know [[wp>Arthur C. Clarke]]'s saying that "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". that was my exact impression when couple of days ago i've read [[https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a28724/submarine-sonar-soks/|how Soviet's SOKS was used to track USA submarines]]. [[wp>SOKS]] is a device dating back to 1969 (!!) that allows to tack submarines by finding trail that they leave underwater by:

  - traces of radiation from reactor
  - salt concentration changes (mixing water when huge object passes by)
  - temperature changes (reactor cooling can heat up water by up to 10*C)

{{:blog:2023:12:14:soks.jpg?400|SOKS}}

i do not know what blew my mind more in this story:

  * the fact that's even possible?
  * the fact that has been accomplished in 1969?
  * the fact that this was done using Soviet technology of the time?
  * the fact that it has been (partially!) declassified only in 2017?

wonder what they are using and working on now, half a century later.