Turkish Naval Forces Command has been constantly tracking the Greek "invisible" submarines that were reported to be following all activities in the Eastern Mediterranean undetected.
Video footage released Thursday shows the submarines being monitored, dismissing claims on Greek media that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) were not able to detect submarines of the Hellenic Navy.
Earlier reports claimed that the "Type-214 submarines are invisible and the Turkish Armed Forces' maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters could not detect these submarines."
The news also included the claim that Greek submarines followed all activities in the Eastern Mediterranean without being detected.
Security sources told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the allegations in question were absolutely not true, citing the video footage as proof.
The sources emphasized that the Greek Type-214 submarines, which were claimed to be invisible, were being continuously followed by the floating and flying elements of the Turkish Naval Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The submarines' periscopes were clearly visible in the video footage. Both day and nighttime footage of the submarines were released by the Turkish authorities. Security experts said this means the Greek submarines could be easily tracked.
Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos was quoted by CNN Greece on Oct. 6, as saying: "The Turks are still looking for our submarines," praising the capabilities of the navy and the submarines' state-of-art systems that helps them avoid detection by radar and helicopters.
A submarine's propulsion system is the critical part when it comes to a kind of cat and mouse games with patrolling aircraft. The type of propulsion system can give the submarine the ability to remain submerged without surfacing for air. When surfacing for air, bits of the vessel can be seen above the water, without even using anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technologies.
Once a submarine is spotted, it's route unveiled, it can easily be traced and spotted.
However, there are different ways of tracing any submarine with today’s technology. A hi-tech sensor can find any tell-tale trace left by a submarine deep under the water. They use an array of acoustic, electromagnetic active, or passive sensors, searching for sound pressure or electromagnetic spectrum. There are also ways for open source investigators to detect the types of submarines different countries use.