Jerusalem, (Samajweekly) Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a state-run aerospace and defence company, has unveiled the “first of its kind” intelligence unmanned submarine.
With a length of 10.9 meters and a diameter of 1.9 meters, the new underwater vehicle, named BlueWhale, is designed to carry out covert intelligence-gathering operations, detect other submarines and collect acoustic intelligence, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement from the IAI.
The IAI stated that the submarine is able to perform most tasks of a manned submarine, without operators at sea for weeks, and with minimal costs and maintenance.
The submarine has successfully completed thousands of hours of autonomous operations, including gathering intelligence to locate targets at sea and onshore, identifying naval mines, and gathering acoustic intelligence.
For collecting intelligence information above water, the BlueWhale is equipped with a telescopic mast, which emerges from the water during diving and detects targets at sea and onshore using radar and electro-optical systems mounted on it.
Through satellite communication antennas on the mast, the information collected in real-time can be transmitted to dedicated command posts anywhere in the world, at sea, or on land, according to the IAI.
The submarine is also equipped with a dedicated synthetic aperture sonar for mine detection and a sensor suite that ensures safe movement underwater and near the water’s surface.
