Video tour of a US nuclear submarine – where sailors maneuver the periscope using an XBOX CONTROLLER
The USS Indiana is a state-of-the-art, multi-billion dollar nuclear-powered US submarine capable of staying submerged for three months at a time and firing 16 Tomahawk cruise missiles in a single salvo.
She has the latest in stealth technology, can travel up to 29 mph (25 knots), and can dive to depths of at least 800 feet (her actual diving abilities are classified). In addition, Navy Seal troops can exit and enter the submarine while submerged from a room in the ship.
By all accounts, she’s one of the deadliest boats in the world – and now you can peek inside thanks to fascinating video footage vlogger Terry Fields filmed scrambling through the hatch for a tour during ‘Fleet Week’ in Florida’s Port Everglades.
The videowhich has been viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube, shows the captain’s quarters, the stylish canteen and Fields clambering into a torpedo tube.
What aspects of the submarine impressed him? “Sure, the control room,” Fields told MailOnline Travel. There he learns from his guide – the submarine’s commander, Scott Bresnahan – that sailors use an Xbox controller to control the periscope.
Vlogger Terry Fields got a tour of the USS Indiana (above) during ‘Fleet Week’ in Florida’s Port Everglades
Above, ‘tour guide’ Scott Bresnahan, the submarine’s commander, reveals some of the hi-tech systems available to the crew in the control room
What aspects of the submarine impressed Fields? “Sure, the control room,” he said. There he learns that sailors use an Xbox controller (above) to control the periscope
Fields, who posts on social media as the Barefoot Vlogger, said: ‘It’s fascinating to see the brain of the ship and show that there are no windows to see out and the ship is literally guided by sound. They do have cameras, but the ship uses sonar to travel when it’s underwater.
“And the integration of X-Box controllers to control the submarine’s periscopes was an eye-opener.”
The USS Indiana does not have a traditional periscope operated from the control room. Instead, it has retractable “photonics masts” that provide multiple views through advanced cameras, including infrared imagery.
These images can be beamed to screens around the ship.
The attack submarine also has a ferocious arsenal of weapons, some of which Fields has seen first hand, with his video tour taking viewers inside the torpedo room.
The torpedoes are gigantic – and so is the torpedo tube, which Fields crawls into with a flashlight.
It’s a claustrophobic experience in a ship already cramped for the complement of about 150 sailors, which is all male except for one female officer, Lieutenant Lexi Silva.
Fields’ intriguing video shows Commander Bresnahan’s quarters (above)
Upstairs is the Executive Officer’s berth, with a curtained ‘rack’ for a visiting VIP
This stateroom has a triple bunk for officers, plus storage and twin rollaway beds
As Fields explained, “The Indiana is about 300 feet long, so with about 150 sailors on board, that averages less than a foot of space per sailor.”
The lack of space forces sailors to ‘hot rack’ – that is, alternate use of the very basic beds, with some even sleeping in the torpedo room.
The video shows that the commander’s berth, on the other hand, is a luxury affair – a 25 square meter room with wood paneling.
He is the only sailor on board who has a room to himself.
The executive officer’s room is also relatively comfortable, with an extra ‘rack’ for a visiting VIP. A third stateroom has a triple bunk for officers, plus storage and twin rollaway beds.
Fields said above, ‘The most impressive thing about the submarine to me was the crew itself. The professionalism and positivity of the crew was evident from the moment I stepped aboard’
Pictured above is one of the giant torpedoes that are part of the USS Indiana’s armor
Pictured above, Fields is examining one of the torpedo tubes
Fields, who lives in Boca Raton, Florida, said, “As if the sleep arrangements weren’t challenging enough, they don’t really shower daily in the usual sense.” To keep water on the ship en route, they often use disposable wipes to freshen up.’
The State of Indiana themed “luncheonette-style” dining room – the Courtside Cafe – is sure to provide some relief for the sailors.
Taco Tuesday is apparently a big hit with the crew.
Now that he’s been on board, does Fields think he can handle being a sub?
He said, “I’ve thought about this question for a long time and my honest answer is, I think I could maybe do it for a weekend. That’s about it. When you’re there for months at a time, I think something that would make it the most difficult isn’t necessarily the confined space itself, but the coldness of the environment.
‘What I mean by that is the lack of sociability. In a submarine you are looking at a lot of pipes, valves, stairwells and metal. It’s virtually impossible to get that “homey” feeling. I know you could say that about almost any naval ship, but on a sub it’s magnified because it’s tighter and you’re always inside.’
The submarine themed “luncheonette style” dining room
The USS Indiana, pictured here during sea trials in 2018, can remain submerged for three months at a time
There’s no question that submarine life is challenging, but the crew of the USS Indiana is taking it head-on.
Fields added, “The most impressive thing about the submarine to me was the crew itself. The professionalism and positivity of the crew was evident from the moment I stepped aboard. Given the challenges they face on their journeys together, that says a lot about their commitment to serving their country.”
Click to watch the full video on the Barefoot Vlogger YouTube channel here. Join his Patreon for exclusive content – www.patreon.com/barefootvlogger. And follow him here on Instagram – www.instagram.com/thebarefootvlogger.