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• Vibration transmission mechanisms of the shell with immersed elastic connections are studied. • The forced vibration test is conducted on the double-layer shell with six immersed isolators. • An analytical approach is proposed to predict the vibration response of the double-layer shell. • The vibration test provides benchmark experimental results for future studies. • The energy transmission is quantitatively partitioned with respect to elastic connection stiffness. This paper investigates vibration transmission characteristics of the double-layer cylindrical shell with fully immersed elastic connections through experimental and analytical approaches. A test sample of the double-layer cylindrical shell connected by six vibration isolators is firstly manufactured and a forced vibration test is done with fully immersed interlayer. Meanwhile, a novel analytical approach is developed to calculate vibration responses of an unequal double-layer cylindrical shell with fully immersed elastic connections. The substructure receptance method and wave propagation method are combined in the coupling theoretical model. Springs are utilized to simulate elastic connections, that are considered as substructures. By comparing the achieved analytical and experimental vibration responses, good agreements are gained and the two approaches are demonstrated. Then the transmission characteristics are gradually analyzed with respect to the double-layer shell with elastic connections, double-layer shell with interlayer fluid and double-layer shell with fully immersed elastic connections. It is found that the interlayer water between the inner and outer shells plays a "short-circuit" role in vibration transmission, which greatly reduces the isolation performance of vibration isolators. Nevertheless, the fully immersed isolators with small stiffness still have the non-ignorable vibration isolation effect compared with the case of rigid connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]