Italian Navy purchases Blue Whale underwater autonomous drone

The Italian Navy decided to strengthen its fleet with autonomous underwater drones. The choice was made on the Blue Whale product, designated as LDAUV (Large Dispalcement Autonomous Underwater Veihicle - “large-displacement autonomous underwater vehicle”).

The Ministry of Defense submitted an application for the purchase of three systems to parliament, justifying it with the need to increase the Navy's capabilities in the field of surveillance, reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.

As indicated in the RID publication, Blue Whale has been serving in the Israeli navy and was involved in at least one NATO exercise in the Mediterranean. In Italy, the LDAUV was created on its basis [apparently, the changes concerned the filling of the device]. The Israeli company Israel Aircraft Industries took part in the work.

Blue Whale has a length of 10,9 m, a diameter of 1,12 m and a weight of 5,5 tons. It can operate at a maximum depth of 300 m, the average speed is low and is 2-3 knots, and the cruising endurance is 30 days. The payload is modular and consists of a number of electro-acoustic, electro-optical and radar sensors (located on a lifting mast) and communication systems.

When conducting combat operations against underwater objects, the drone operates in a bistatic mode [the receiver and transmitter are separated], using a towed linear passive transmitter.

Comments

[Thrifty]

Such devices won’t hurt us either, especially since the guys promise to start using their underwater drones against our warships.

[krot]

Solidarity! On the Black Sea berths of Sumerstan, use ..

[smart fellow]

You can buy a couple in the DPRK. You don’t need a lot of them anyway; there’s no need to reinvent the wheel yourself.

[isv000]

Quote: Thrifty

Such devices won’t hurt us either, especially since the guys promise to start using their underwater drones against our warships.

You need to hammer it into the soil so that bad thoughts don’t enter your head. It would be nice in a wave, all over the territory at once, and in a doublet along the LBS!

[ZovSailor]

There is no crowbar or trick against Poseidon, and don’t hope!
Losharik's analogs won't let you lie!
Bathyscaphes of science - forward to the front line!

[isv000]

Quote: ZovSailor

There is no crowbar or trick against Poseidon, and don’t hope!
Losharik's analogs won't let you lie!
Bathyscaphes of science - forward to the front line!

And if you leave the Odessa port, will the city remain?

[alystan]

The choice was made on the Blue Whale product, designated as LDAUV (Large Dispalcement Autonomous Underwater Veihicle - “autonomous underwater vehicle of large displacement”).

In Italy, LDAUV was created on its basis [apparently, the changes concerned the filling of the device]. The Israeli company Israel Aircraft Industries took part in the work.

So is Italy acting as a buyer or creator?

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has developed the Blue Whale, a large autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed for covert intelligence collection in the open sea and coastal waters. The system includes anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonars developed in collaboration with Atlas Elektronik of Bremen (Germany), which was presented in May 2023 at Undersea Defense Technology in Rostock (Germany).

[Crimean partisan 1974]

navigation autonomy 30 days.

...hmm...why doesn't it work at night, only during the day?...great...

[Colleague]

passive transmitter

Who came up with this crap? If he is a transmitter, how can he be passive?

[Boa kaa]

Quote: Kollega

If he is a transmitter, how can he be passive?

Hermaphrodite, no less! Otherwise - no way!!!

[isv000]

Italian Navy purchases Blue Whale underwater autonomous drone

In Colombia, this device would go great! Explosives overboard, coke on board...