Italian submarine builder known for small-sized designs, M23, displayed the T-series special forces delivery submarine alongside the C-series for Qatar.
M23, which previously built and tested the C-series midget submarine for Qatar’s littoral warfare requirements, displayed another niche design named T-series for special forces operator delivery.
The submarine, measuring about 10 m in length, can carry up to four personnel in addition to the two crew members.
In terms of operational envelope, the submarine can operate at a range of 60 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 4.5 knots while the operating depth is up to 100 m.
The sensor suite for T-series includes forward-looking sonar, passive sonar arrays, measurement units, GNSS, and, interestingly radar warning receiver. The radar warning receiver is likely intended as a precaution against surface search radars employed by ships and maritime patrol aircraft.
Another interesting piece of equipment on the T-series is torpedo tubes for 127 mm mini torpedoes, understood to be Black Scorpion from Leonardo. Black Scorpion can reach a speed of 15 knots and carries a 2.8 kg warhead. While the mini torpedo is not a top-class in performance, it can have its uses in specific scenarios such as sabotaging undersea surveillance assets.
