j20blackdragon
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The future of anti-submarine warfare is in underwater drones.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/12/china-uses-underwater-drones-in-south-china-sea.html
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/poli...g-speeding-underwater-drone-tests-south-china
Late last month, Beijing dropped a dozen underwater drones, also known as unmanned underwater vehicles, in an unspecified location in the international waterway to carry out "scientific observations," state-run media outlet Xinhua reported.
The torpedo-shaped vehicles — called Haiyi, or sea wings in Mandarin — will remain underwater for a month, according to reports. In March, one device hit a depth of 6,329 meters, breaking an earlier record held by a U.S. vessel, Xinhua said.
"The ability of UUVs to detect and hunt submarines, thereby rendering oceans transparent, potentially changes the way of warfare," Sylvia Mishra, junior fellow at New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation, said in a note earlier this month. "It is precisely why Beijing has been investing in a burgeoning underwater drones industry, which enjoys considerable national-level funding and support."
UUVs may be presently used for scientific research, but they could be upgraded for underwater combat, patrol, mine-sweeping and submarine detection operations, Mishra continued. "It is likely that the People's Liberation Army will utilize UUVs for military purposes."
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/12/china-uses-underwater-drones-in-south-china-sea.html
They are called gliders because they use small wings and a buoyancy control mechanism to glide down and up in the water, and wave energy to propel themselves forward.
These machines can travel long distances without needing to recharge their batteries for weeks or even months. Equipped with multiple sensors, they not only can monitor the natural environment but also can pick up data of interest to military forces, such as the propeller noise or magnetic anomaly – meaning the disturbance in the magnetic field – caused by a nuclear submarine. And because the glider produces virtually no sound, its existence can be unknown to the sub.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/poli...g-speeding-underwater-drone-tests-south-china