Israel Aerospace Industries announced the completion of operational trials for its BlueWhale unmanned submarine in collaboration with the German Navy.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced the completion of operational trials for its BlueWhale unmanned submarine, which was tested in partnership with the German Navy, NATO, and maritime technology firm Atlas Elektronik in the Baltic Sea. The tests tested the submarine's capabilities in intelligence gathering and target acquisition, paving the way for the integration of autonomous vehicles into naval operations.
The BlueWhale, 10.9 metres long and weighing 5.5 tonnes, has advanced sensors, sonar systems, and a telescopic mast allowing real-time data communication. The experiments are part of the Marine 2035 framework, which aims to improve technology capabilities in marine defence.
BlueWhale uses ATLAS ELEKTRONIK's towed passive sonar triplet array. In contrast to conventional towed sonars, the integrated system is intended to operate at depths often used by submarines to escape detection. ATLAS ELEKTRONIK has created a transmitter that allows BlueWhale ASW to locate and track underwater targets bistatically when launched from an autonomous or crewed surface vehicle.
