The Iranian Subs at Sea

The USS Vicksburg recently spotted two of the reported three Iranian kilos running on the surface in the Persian Gulf. Highlighted in a story from the Navy Times:

Officials aboard the cruiser Vicksburg spotted and photographed two surfaced Iranian Kilo-class submarines in the Persian Gulf a few weeks ago, the ship’s skipper told Navy Secretary Donald Winter during a visit to the ship on Saturday.
The Russian-designed diesel-electric attack subs were tracked and photographed by sailors onboard the Mayport, Fla.-based ship, said Capt. Chip Swicker. Crew members showed Winter the photographs of the surfaced subs. The Vicksburg did not communicate with either of the subs, Swicker said.
“They watched us and we watched them,” he said.
Crew members aboard the cruiser didn’t consider the encounters hostile, although it wasn’t clear if the Iranian boats surfaced within view of the cruiser or if the U.S. warship happened to see the Iranian subs while they were already running on the surface. Iran has a fleet of three Kilo-class SSKs, according to Jane’s Fighting Ships.
Swicker indicated the Vicksburg was close enough to Iranian waters at the times of the encounters that crew members didn’t consider it out of the ordinary to see Iranian navy vessels.

The scary part of this article is that apparently, they Vicksburg was unaware of their presence until they spotted them on the surface. While it is erroneous in my opinion to connect this incident to the incident when the Chinese submarine surfaced in the middle of a battlegroup (as the Navy Times did), there there seems to be a pointed need for either enhanced ASW training and capability for surface ship crews, an enhanced submarine presence to perform ASW missions, or both. I see this as becoming more vital given the current escalating tensions between the US and Iran combined with Iran's stated,(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghadir_(submarine)). Bubblehead also has some news concerning the Iranian program (http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-iranian-submarine-certainly-looks.html).

Another disturbing side of the Ghadir Class is Iran's claim the boats can reach Israel's coast. Whether or not it is true, this couls also be an attempt to interfere with the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks by a nation with an acknowledged goal of the destruction of this key American ally.