XPost: sci.military.naval, soc.history.war.misc

from
(go to citation to see pictures and video) https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/navdex-2023/2023/02/china-reveals-new-heavily-armed-extra-large-uncrewed-submarine/

The XLUUV (extra-large underwater drone) design is similar to the U.S.
Navy's Boeing Orca. But it features four torpedo tubes, indicating an
offensive weapons load. This is something Western designs so far have
lacked.

China Reveals New Heavily Armed Extra-Large Uncrewed Submarine

New evidence points to China's XLUUV (extra-large uncrewed underwater
vehicles) being armed with torpedoes. This is a significant leap in this
space and, together with a large-scale development program, may be
out-pacing the West.
H I Sutton 23 Feb 2023

Extra large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) are quickly becoming a
major trend in naval warfare. Leading navies have initiated programs to
develop and explore these. Currently, the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy
appear to be in the lead, both in experimentation and in orders.

But China too has been working on this capability. China has at least 5
designs in the water, many more than any other navy. But their
development has been shrouded in secrecy.

CSSC booth NAVDEX 2023 XLUUV
CSSC booth at NAVDEX 2023
Now new information from the NAVDEX 2023 defense exposition in Abu
Dhabi, UAE reveals details of their designs for the first time. It
indicates that some of China’s uncrewed underwater vehicles may be
submarine killers.

As Naval News reported in September 2022, China has an extensive yet
unreported XLUUV program. Because China does not discuss these vehicles
in public we can only speculate on many details. Defense analysts can
look for indications in the crafts’ size, form, where it is tested and
from the context of the trials. But the satellite imagery available can
only give hints.

The defense expo changes this. The visuals used by Chinese shipbuilding organization CSSC 705 Institute are significant. They show an XLUUV
broadly in line with some of the vehicles previously observed in
satellite imagery in China.

Displaying a visual of an XLUUV suggests an export product so care needs
to be taken extrapolating it to Chinese Navy (PLAN) projects. all the
same it is useful information about China’s domestic projects.

Unusually, the XLUUV has a structure along its side which is consistent
with flank array sonar. Even more unusually, this is combined with
telltale doors for four torpedo tubes in the chin position. Taken
together it implies an anti-ship and/or anti-submarine role.

Several other large uncrewed underwater vehicle designs also feature a
sonar like this. Notably the French Oceanic Underwater Drone
Demonstrator and South Korean ASWUUV. But the Chinese design is the
first to combine it with weapons.

Arming autonomous underwater vehicles with weapons which require target identification, such as torpedoes, is problematic. It increases risks of
blue on blue (or for China, red on red) accidents.

It also raises ethical and legal questions about human out of the loop
kill chains. This is because underwater vehicles like this cannot
realistically be controlled by humans. They have to be autonomous, so
the decision to shoot the torpedo has to be automated.

However China appears more comfortable than other nations to take these
risks. At least that’s the indication based on what little we know so far.


TAGS NAVDEX 2023 Submarine XLUUV

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)