Are T-AGOS vessels enough to detect Chinese submarines?
No. They are only one tool in the US Navy’s arsenal to detect foreign boats. Acoustic buoys, anti-submarine aircraft, satellites, naval intelligence all work in combination to detect subs but it is unknown what resources the US is putting behind these technologies in the Pacific. It is also important to note that submarines themselves are the most effective platform in detecting foreign vessels but of the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s 35 submarines (including three nuclear attack submarines based in Guam during 2006), about a dozen are underway at sea on operational duties at any one time (Source).
