Known as anechoic tiles, many modern classes of submarine are coated almost all over the hull by thousands of these rubber-like patches. Their purpose is twofold: first of all they dampen sounds ...

Submarines are typically fitted with stealth coatings, or anechoic tiles, which are designed to absorb sound waves, making them less vulnerable to attacks and harder for enemy ships to track.

Where older submarines have brick-like, sound-absorbing anechoic tiles, Virginia-class subs feature a coating that shipyard workers apply in large sections. “It creates a smoother surface and ...

The material is likened to the stealth coating on fighter jets and bombers that absorb radar's electromagnetic waves; the anechoic tiles on submarines absorb sound waves from sonar. They help to ...

Where older submarines have brick-like, sound-absorbing anechoic tiles, Virginia-class subs feature a coating that shipyard workers apply in large sections. “It creates a smoother surface and ...

The anechoic tiles also shield sounds from within the submarine thus reducing the range of detection by passive sonar. The improved Kilo is 73.8 meters (242 ft.) in length, 9.9 meters (32.4 ft.) ...

The U.S. Navy currently covers its submarines with anechoic coatings, rubber or polymer tiles that are affixed to hulls with glue and are designed to reduce detection at certain sonar frequency bands.

Iran has had difficulty maintaining some original features however, such as the anechoic coating. These are rubber tiles which reduce the noise signature, an important factor in submarine stealth.