The us Navy's shipbuilding and weapons command issued a request for information about unmanned aerial vehicles that could be launched from submarines. According to Defense News, the request was published in October 2020, but it became known about it only now.
Submarines are very limited in the survey — with the help of periscope from a submerged position range of the review small. It is assumed that reconnaissance drones will solve this problem.
According to military requirements, reconnaissance drones must be suitable for launching from a submarine through a 76.2-millimeter tube launcher, currently used for ejecting sonar buoys, flares or false targets.
The reconnaissance vehicle must be equipped with a folding wing, which will be laid out on the ground. The flight duration of the electric vehicle must be at least one hour.
The drone's intelligence system must be optoelectronic, capable of detecting targets. The device will transmit target data over the channel using 256-bit encryption. The device must be able to perform flights in Autonomous mode.
Today, the US Navy has limited use of Blackwing drones. These vehicles are launched from submarines in a submerged position in a special container. When the container POPs up, it releases a drone that starts circling over the specified area.
The device itself is only responsible for relaying signals. It can also transmit video data, but there is no question of full-fledged intelligence. After launching, Blackwing can stay in the air for up to one hour. After this time, the drones land on the water.
Vasily Sychev
