Israel has made significant strides in developing and producing autonomous submarines, cementing its position as a major player in the field as it unveils its latest autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), dubbed BlueWhale, for the first time.

Built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the BlueWhale unmanned submarine, which the company has categorized as a large autonomous underwater vehicle (LAUV), has completed “thousands of autonomous operation hours,” subsequently proving its seaworthiness.

Like many other powerful countries, Israel’s defense industry has spent decades developing unmanned submarines, investing heavily in research and development (R&D), production, and innovation that will make its technology more capable and reliable.

During a series of sea trials, the BlueWhale LAUV underwent rigorous and long-enduring operation hours, conducting various naval missions. These included intelligence-gathering for both maritime and coastal targets, acoustic intelligence, submarine and sea mine detection, and underwater target search. Moreover, the company reported that for several weeks the autonomous submarine had proven its capabilities by taking on roles typically carried out by crewed submarines, all while significantly reducing the cost and maintenance required, thus demonstrating its potential to improve naval operations without sacrificing resource optimization.

In a press release statement, Yoav Tourgeman, the IAI’s Vice President and CEO of subsidiary ELTA Systems, highlighted the significance of the BlueWhale AUV as it joins the company’s family of unmanned vessels and other maritime platforms.

Its deployment denotes a significant milestone as a force multiplier for submarine fleets. Tourgeman has likewise said the company’s progress in developing and producing UUV systems. The advanced features incorporated into this platform enable it to perform a wide range of missions, underscoring the IAI’s engineering capabilities and its commitment to innovation in the field of maritime technology.

Tourgeman also noted BlueWhale’s capability to provide solutions for use in Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), a maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s shorelines which a state has special rights. Integrating the LAUV technology enhances its operators’ ability to monitor and protect these maritime arenas.

IAI’s BlueWhale Submarine

Israel first introduced BlueWhale AUV in 2022, intending to use the unmanned submarine for covert intelligence-gathering missions, intelligence gathering, mine detection, anti-submarine warfare, and other maritime operations.

Its features include an electric motor, various sophisticated sensors, and a communication system allowing it to transmit real-time data.

The submarine can reportedly reach a maximum speed of 7 knots (8 miles/h) and an endurance of around 2-3 weeks of autonomous operation of up to 1,000 nautical miles without refueling. In addition, it can effectively perform deep water dive more or less 19,700 feet (6,000 meters) below the surface. It is portable and can fit in a 40 ft (12 m) shipping container.

The BlueWhale AUV has a telescopic mast equipped with radar and an electro-optical system, providing superior stability than traditional masts. Its design incorporates versatility, compactness, and ease of transport, enabling easy extension and retraction for detecting sea and coastal targets. This design feature also minimizes the possibility of damage caused by high winds. Through this mast, the LAUV will be able to gather critical information, which satellite communications will transmit in real-time to command posts stationed anywhere in the world.

Other notable features in this sophisticated LAUV include sonars: towed and flank array, capable of receiving information on both sides of the platform to support submarine detection and acoustic intelligence-gathering data. Furthermore, naval forces consider these two sonars a must-have warfare tool as they enable the detection and tracking of both enemy and friendly ships and submarines.

Meanwhile, the BlueWhale AUV can perform mine detection through a dedicated synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) and ensures safe transit underwater and near the sea surface with its sensor suite.

The Quest for Autonomy

Israel’s defense industry has been thriving for years, becoming a hub for several innovative companies specializing in developing military equipment, including submarines.

The country’s first exploration of AUV began with the Dolphin-class submarine, built by a German shipbuilding company in the 1980s. Back then, the ship class subs were powered by air-independent propulsion (AIP), allowing the vehicle to operate underwater for extended periods, and featured several types of sensors and weapons like torpedoes and missiles.

The new millennium came, and with it, the new Sa’ar 6-class submarine of the Israeli Navy, which was bigger and better than its predecessor thanks to a new version of the AIP system that allowed even way more extended periods underwater.

The arrival of the BlueWhale AUV indicated not only progress in the modernization of its Navy but also a boost in Israel’s military capabilities. Like most of the countries that seek to upgrade to a more powerful, more capable, and reliable autonomous submarine, Jerusalem also strives to achieve these benefits to reduce the risk of its men, increase operational flexibility, cost reduction, and improve intelligence gathering, particularly in high contested areas that manned subs usually cannot reach.

Overall, the BlueWhale AUV can potentially become a powerful military asset in the Israeli Navy’s arsenal, enhancing the efficiency of its naval fleets by serving as a force multiplier for various maritime operations and interests.

—

Book Recommendation: Check out “The Submarine and the Spies” by Jane Hampton Cook, an enthralling historical fiction novel about friendship and vigilance during the American Revolution in 1776.