Image source: topwar.ru
The Japanese company ATLA has introduced a new ultra-large unmanned underwater vehicle, designated Long Endurance UUV.
The model built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry is an experimental model; it is currently being tested in a special pool.
The drone consists of three sections: the head section, on which the control system is installed; the power section, equipped with a power source; the tail section, equipped with a propulsion system. Modules with different payloads can be installed on this basic platform, depending on the assigned combat mission.
The BPA is able to function autonomously for a long period. In the current configuration, which is 10 meters long, the continuous operation time is a week at a speed of 3-4 knots. However, the developer intends to achieve a longer duration, including through the transition from lithium-ion batteries to liquid fuel, or to VNEU or diesel-electric engines.
Image source: topwar.ru
The developer plans to achieve autonomous operation of the drone, that is, without the participation of an operator. To determine its location, the BPA uses a combination of an INS and a Doppler speed meter. In order to detect the noise of propellers and other sounds coming from enemy ships, passive sonar is used. After climbing to the water surface, an active sonar is connected to work.
Currently, the BPA is located in a special tank, which simulates the conditions of the marine environment, such as currents, temperature and salinity of water, as well as underwater acoustics. All these indicators are accumulated by AI and will eventually allow it to develop algorithms for autonomous actions, for example, to automatically detect and identify targets.
