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Masters · 1500 h · 11 modules
Master's in Submarine Defense and Naval Warfare Technologies
Offers comprehensive training in the design, operation, and maintenance of advanced submarine systems. Acquire specialized knowledge in sonar, underwater communications, naval propulsion, and submarine weaponry. Master…
Duration1500 h
FormatOnline
Starts14 December
Places20 / 20
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Programme overview
What is the Master’s in Submarine Defense and Naval Warfare Technologies?
The Master's in Submarine Defense and Naval Warfare Technologies
Offers comprehensive training in the design, operation, and maintenance of advanced submarine systems. Acquire specialized knowledge in sonar, underwater communications, naval propulsion, and submarine weaponry. Master anti-submarine warfare (ASW) strategies and cutting-edge technologies for the detection, classification, and neutralization of submarine threats. This program prepares you to lead innovation and development projects in the naval and defense industry.
Differentiating Advantages
- Advanced Simulations: Realistic tactical scenarios for decision-making in complex underwater environments.
- Specialized Laboratories: Hands-on experimentation with state-of-the-art equipment and systems.
- Industry Collaboration: Joint projects with leading companies in the naval and defense sector.
- Multidisciplinary Approach: Integration of knowledge from engineering, physics, electronics, and materials science.
- Expert Faculty: Renowned professionals in the field of submarine defense and naval technology.
Programme type
Master's Degree
Study mode
Online
Duration
1,500 hours
Modules
11
Programme highlights
- Strategic Analysis: Master the undersea geopolitical environment and emerging threats.
- Advanced Technologies: Delve into state-of-the-art sensors, sonar, propulsion systems, and naval weaponry.
- Naval Warfare: Learn about undersea naval tactics, strategies, and operations, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
- Simulation and Modeling: Use advanced simulation tools for scenario planning and assessment.
- Maritime Security and Cybersecurity: Understand vulnerabilities and countermeasures in the digital environment naval.
- Prepare to lead in maritime defense and security with cutting-edge training.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 11 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Strategic Foundations of Underwater Defence, Naval Power and Evolution of War Technologies in the Subsurface Domain
- Underwater defence concept and its role in contemporary naval strategy: deterrence, denial of the sea, protection of forces and control of critical areas
- Historical evolution of underwater warfare: from the first submersibles and naval mines to high complexity multi-domain subsurface operations
- Relationship between maritime geopolitics, chokepoints, underwater critical infrastructure and need for control of underwater space
- Typologies of underwater threats: manned submarines, mini-submarines, unmanned vehicles, mines, underwater sabotage and hostile special operations
- Doctrinal principles of offensive and defensive employment of anti-submarine and warfare capabilities under the sea
- Levels of underwater defence conduction: strategic, operational and tactical in ocean, coastal and restricted environments
- Critical factors of success in subsurface operations: stealth, persistence, sensor quality, intelligence, training and decision superiority
- Integration of naval, aerial, submarine, space, cybernetic and electronic warfare capabilities in the struggle for subsurface domain
- New generation trends in submarine naval warfare technologies: automation, distributed sensors, artificial intelligence and unmanned platforms
- Conceptual bases for advanced analysis of submarine defence in naval conflicts of the 21st century
02
Operational oceanography, underwater acoustics and physical environment of under the sea combat
- Basics of Physical Oceanography Applied to Underwater Operations: Temperature, Salinity, Density, Stratification and Dynamics of Water Masses
- Propagation of sound at sea: acoustic speed, refraction, convergence, shadow zones and sound channels of tactical relevance
- Influence of the seabed, bathymetry, roughness and geology on detection, navigation and use of acoustic sensors
- Effects of waves, environmental noise, maritime traffic and meteorology on acoustic signature and underwater situational awareness
- Coastal oceanography and its implications for ASW operations in shallow, narrow water, archipelagos and complex coastal areas
- Characterization of acoustically favorable and unfavorable environments for search, tracking and evasion of underwater contacts
- Techniques for collecting oceanographic information and use of data metocean in the planning of anti-submarine operations
- Modelling of the submarine environment for tactical decision support and optimisation of the deployment of sensors and platforms
- Limitations and uncertainties of the subsurface environment: temporal variability, prediction errors and degradation of the tactical table
- Integration of oceanographic knowledge in the planning and execution of underwater defence campaigns
03
Underwater platforms, unmanned vehicles and mission systems for war operations under the sea
- Typologies of military submarines: conventional, nuclear, strategic, attack and specialised platforms for discrete operations
- Systems architecture of a modern submarine: propulsion, energy, navigation, platform control, sensors and weapons systems
- Acoustic, magnetic, thermal and electromagnetic signatures of submarine platforms and their relevance for detection and survival
- Unmanned submarine vehicles: UUV, AUV, ROV and hybrid systems for reconnaissance, attack, mine warfare and tactical inspection
- Minisubmarines, special insertion media and discrete platforms for clandestine operations in sensitive naval environments
- Submarine Navigation and Positioning Systems: Inertial, Acoustic, Geophysical Aids and Navigation Solutions in GNSS-Denied Environments
- Underwater communications: acoustic, optical, buoy and low frequency, with their operational and tactical limitations
- Man-machine integration and automation of the submarine platform: decision assistance, signature management and mission control
- Trends in unmanned submarines, crewed-unmanned teaming and distributed deployment of subsurface capacities
- Comparative evaluation of submarine platforms according to mission, theater, technological level and threat profile
04
Sensors, sonar, underwater surveillance and fusion of information for the detection, classification and tracking of contacts
- Basics of submarine acoustic sensors: sound active, passive, hull, variable depth and towed systems
- Synthetic aperture sonar, Side Scan, multi-beam and advanced sensors for tactical mapping, search and subsurface recognition
- Sonobuoys, MAD, airborne sensors and detection systems embarked on maritime patrol aircraft and ASW helicopters
- Fixed and distributed underwater surveillance networks: arrays, background sensors and persistent strategic observation systems
- Contacts Acoustic Classification: Signatures, Noise Libraries, Spectral Correlation and Discrimination Between Objectives and Clutter
- Techniques of location, tracking and estimation of movement of submarines and threats under the sea in environments of high uncertainty
- Multisensor fusion and construction of the submarine tactical panel: integration of naval, air, space and unmanned sources
- Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics for early detection of acoustic anomalies and underwater behaviour patterns
- Operational limitations of the sensors: false alarms, masking, countermeasures, environmental degradation and information overload
- Design of submarine ISR architectures for area defence, force escort and protection of critical infrastructures
05
Anti-submarine warfare, search tactics, localization, attack and neutralization of threats under the sea
- Operational principles of the anti-submarine warfare: barrier, patrol, chase, denial area and protection of high-value units
- Deep, middle and coastal search tactics: exploration patterns, sectorization and use of sensors staggered
- Coordination between surface ships, friendly submarines, helicopters, maritime patrol aircraft and unmanned systems in ASW campaigns
- Tactical employment of torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, advanced depth charges and intelligent subsurface attack weapons
- Fixation, Shadowing, Persistent Tracking and Attack on Evasive or Reduced Submarine Contacts
- Defence of convoys, battle groups, amphibious units and logistics platforms against the underwater threat
- Anti-submarine operations in A2/AD zones, straits, congested waters and areas with high acoustic complexity
- Tactical management of uncertainty, contact windows, trace loss and retack on subsurface targets
- Post-attack evaluation, confirmation of effects and continuity of the mission in high-intensity ASW operations
- Doctrinal lessons derived from historical and modern anti-submarine warfare and sea protection campaigns
06
Mining warfare, countermeasures, artifact neutralization and protection of critical underwater areas
- Fundamentals of the war of mines and their strategic role in the denial of the sea, the closure of ports and the defence of sensitive areas
- Naval mine typologies: contact, influence, funded, background, mobile, smart and contemporary mining systems
- Methods of offensive and defensive employment of mines in straits, port accesses, sea routes and high value operating areas
- Detection, classification and identification of mines by sonar, optical sensors, unmanned vehicles and mixed reconnaissance techniques
- Mining countermeasure operations: search, marking, neutralization, sweep and opening of safe channels for force
- Integration of ships MCM, UUV, ROV, EOD equipment and air capabilities in mine neutralization campaigns and submarine artifacts
- Protection of Ports, Naval Bases, Anchorages and Maritime Terminals against Mining Threats and Underwater Sabotage
- Risks associated with improvised mines, hybrid artifacts and irregular underwater threats on critical infrastructure
- MCM operations planning in crisis scenarios, open conflict and post-conflict with time and resource restrictions
- New generation trends in mine warfare: automation, submarine swarming and early detection smart sensors
07
Protection of underwater infrastructure, seafloor security and defence of strategic assets in the underwater domain
- Underwater critical infrastructure typologies: cables, pipes, collectors, offshore parks, energy nodes and ocean observation systems
- Threats on seafloor infrastructure: sabotage, accidental anchoring, fishing activity, mines, submarine drones and hybrid actors
- Assessment of physical, operational and geostrategic vulnerabilities of high-value submarine assets for states and operators
- Underwater infrastructure surveillance and protection architectures: background sensors, patrols, UUV, aerial surveillance and surface control
- Strategic cable and pipeline safety planning in tense peace, prolonged crisis and open conflict scenarios
- Incident response procedures on underwater infrastructure: detection, isolation, damage assessment and initial restoration
- Integration of Maritime Intelligence, Oceanography, Industrial Data and Military Surveillance for Awareness Permanent Underwater Domain
- Defence of energy offshore installations and logistics nodes against submarine and mixed threats of a physical and digital nature
- Coordination between marines, coast guards, civilian operators and technical entities for the protection of the strategic seafloor
- Development of resilient strategies to preserve functional continuity and technological sovereignty over critical underwater infrastructures
08
Electronic Warfare, Naval Cyber Defence and Emerging Technologies Applied to Underwater Warfare and Advanced Naval Combat
- Principles of naval electronic warfare applied to submarine, anti-submarine operations and to the protection of the maritime tactical panel
- Management of signatures, emissions, acoustic lures and countermeasures to degrade detection and targeting in operations under the sea
- Cyber threats on submarines, sonar systems, command networks, unmanned platforms and distributed sensors of the submarine domain
- Cyberphysical protection of subsurface architectures and mission systems embarked on modern naval platforms
- Integration between EW, cyberoperations, tactical deception and spectrum control for informational superiority in naval combat
- Artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced analytics applied to acoustic classification, tactical prediction and subsea decision support
- Emerging silent propulsion technologies, advanced batteries, absorbent materials and signature reduction for submarine platforms
- UUV Swarms, Cooperative Systems and Distributed Architectures of Sensors and Effectors in Future Naval War Operations
- Ethical, doctrinal and operational risks of advanced automation in submarine combat and new generation naval defence
- Technological prospective of the war under the sea in the framework of the maritime strategic competition of the 21st century
09
Logistics, support, operational preparation and resilience of forces for underwater defence campaigns
- Fundamentals of the maintenance of submarine and anti-submarine operations: fuel, energy, maintenance, ammunition and specialised technical support
- Operational preparation of submarines, ASW ships, aircraft, UUV and surveillance systems for long-term deployments and disputed environments
- Maintenance and availability of sensors, sonars, weapons and control systems used in submarine defence
- Naval Base Logistics, Support Ports, Repair Centres and Supply Nodes for Subsurface Domain Forces
- Sustainment of long-term campaigns in remote theaters: unit rotation, ammunition replenishment and logistics chain resilience
- Protection of support from underwater threats, cyber attacks, sabotage and degradation of supporting maritime infrastructure
- Human factors in submarine platforms and ASW forces: fatigue, cognitive load, recurrent training and preservation of tactical effectiveness
- Fault management, combat damage and recovery of operational capacity in high intensity scenarios under the sea
- Operational continuity and logistical redundancy to avoid premature completion of underwater defence campaigns
- Readiness models, resilience and force regeneration for marines with advanced underwater space control missions
10
International Law, Armament Control and Underwater Defence Policy
- Legal regime of submarines in Convemar
- Innocent passage and submarine transit
- Control of international arms and treaties
- Nuclear deterrence and strategic submarines
- Submarine Acquisition Programs
- Industrial Cooperation in Naval Defence
- European Defence Policy and NATO
- Protection of cables and underwater gas pipelines
- Gray zone and hybrid threats on the seafloor
- Future Strategic Scenarios
11
Master’s Final Project in Submarine Defense and Naval Warfare Technologies
- Selection of the strategic scenario and definition of the underwater defence operational problem that will serve as the basis for the final project
- Characterization of the subsurface theater: oceanographic environment, threats, critical assets, own capacities and geostrategic conditions
- Identification of operational and tactical objectives with definition of the mission framework, desired effects and success criteria
- Strength architecture design: submarine platforms, ASW capabilities, sensors, UUV, weapons, command and control and logistics support
- Development of the concept of operations: surveillance, detection, classification, neutralization, protection of infrastructures and continuity of submarine control
- Construction of the Technological Integration Plan: Sensors, Data Fusion, Telemetry, Cyber Protection and Tactical Decision Support
- Assessment of risks, vulnerabilities, environmental constraints and operational contingencies of the designed defence scheme
- Formulation of the Sustainment, Resilience and Functional Recovery Plan to ensure mission persistence over time
- Preparation of the final report with doctrinal, technical, technological and operational justification of the proposed solution
- Presentation and defence of the Master’s Final Project before Academic Commission with comprehensive argumentation on the designed underwater defence strategy
Workload
Study Time and Workload
1500 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Navy and Naval Forces Officers seeking to specialize in submarine defense strategies, advanced sonar systems, and countermeasures.Naval Engineers and Technicians wishing to deepen their knowledge of the design, maintenance, and operation of submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).Maritime Intelligence and Security Analysts requiring comprehensive knowledge of submarine threats and m
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Managing advanced submarine combat systems
- 02Develop and implement defense strategies against underwater threats
- 03Leading teams in naval warfare operations with high efficiency
- 04Designing and evaluating innovative underwater platforms
- 05Assessing and mitigating risks in submarine warfare environments
- 06Mastering the application of acoustics in anti-submarine warfare
Careers
Career Opportunities
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02Submarine Systems Engineer: Design, development, testing, and maintenance of sonar, communications, navigation, and control systems for submarine platforms.
03Naval Intelligence Analyst: Collection, analysis, and evaluation of information related to submarine threats, naval capabilities, and naval warfare strategies.
04Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Officer: Planning and execution of ASW operations, using sensors, weapons, and tactics to detect, track, and neutralize enemy submarines.
05Defense Technology Consultant: Advising companies and governments on the latest innovations in submarine defense, naval warfare, and maritime security.
06Researcher and Developer at Naval Research Centers: Participation in research and development projects to enhance submarine defense and naval warfare capabilities.
07Project Manager in the Defense Industry: Direction and coordination of projects related to the design, construction, and deployment of submarine systems and naval warfare equipment.
08Naval Cybersecurity Expert: Protection of submarine systems and naval networks against cyber threats, development of defense strategies, and response to attacks.
09Naval Officer specializing in submarine defense: Professional career within the Navy, leading teams and managing operations related to submarine warfare and maritime security.
Questions
Entry Requirements
Yeah.
Yes. The itinerary includes ECDIS/Radar-ARPA/BRM with harbor, ocean, fog, storm, and SAR scenarios.
Online with live sessions; hybrid option for simulator/practical placements through agreements.
It addresses both defensive strategies and offensive submarine tactics.
Recommended functional SMCP. We offer support materials for standard phraseology.
Yes, with a relevant degree or experience in maritime/port operations. The admissions interview will confirm suitability.
Optional (3–6 months) through Companies & Collaborations and the Alumni Network.
Simulator practice (rubrics), defeat plans, SOPs, checklists, micro-tests and applied TFM.
A degree from Navalis Magna Institute + operational portfolio (tracks, SOPs, reports and KPIs) useful for audits and employment.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
```htmlAcademic/Professional Profile:Bachelor's/Undergraduate Degree in Engineering (Naval, Mechanical, Electronic, Telecommunications, Industrial), Physics, Mathematics, or related field; or accredited professional experience in the Armed Forces (Navy) or in the defense industry.Language Proficiency:Accredited or demonstrable B2 level of English (or higher). Required for understanding technical documentation and participating in international seminars.Documentation:Updated CV, copy of academic degree(s), academic transcript, ID/Passport, cover letter explaining interest in
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Frequently Asked Questions
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