USV/UUV

The drone attack on the Russian Navy's main Black Sea port of Sevastopol on 28 October represents a new phase in the modern drone war. According to Russian MOD, the attack involved nine unmanned aerial vehicles and seven unmanned strike boats. The Russians admit damage to one of their vessels and to one of the port barriers.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have added a batch of new ‘loitering torpedoes’ developed by Iran’s defense industries. The new weapons were unveiled yesterday during a ceremony at Bandar Abas naval base, a large naval base located at the straits of Hormoz. The new weapon that seems to be a hybrid of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and a guided torpedo, enables the guards to direct covert attacks at enemy naval bases, ships, and offshore facilities.

Today, the Middle East's International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2022 began. It is the region’s largest maritime exercise and the world's largest unmanned exercise with more than 80 unmanned systems from ten nations participating.

Elbit Systems has added an Unmanned Aerial System capability to the Seagull Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), broadening surveillance and intelligence gathering capabilities of the unmanned boat. Trials conducted in recent weeks were dedicated to the integration of Elbit Systems' Skylark C mini-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), onboard the Seagull USV, further enhancing its intelligence-gathering capabilities.

Dozens of unmanned underwater, surface and air vehicles from NATO countries have gathered in Portugal for two weeks in September, testing new technological advances in unmanned maritime systems networks. To beef up its Port defense capability the Portuguese Navy invited IAI to bring its Drone-Guard C-UAS system that provided unprecedented situational awareness and drone defeat capability during the exercise.

The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan (D37) and Spanish navy frigate ESPS Victoria (F82) completed a training mission in the East Mediterranean sea, as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 operating in the Eastern Mediterranean. By the end of May, after a short port visit at Haifa, the two warships joined with the Israeli navy on an exercise that involved the 'Protector' Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) that demonstrated how such unmanned boats can assist large vessels in repelling attacks by swarms of fast boats.

Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Republic confirmed today that Russia began deploying new strategic weapons that are virtually immune to enemy missile defense capabilities. These weapons include a hypersonic air-launched attack missile and ground-launched hypersonic glider, that can be used with nuclear or conventional warheads. Russian scientists have also matured a compact nuclear propulsion system that can be fitted to unmanned aerial vehicles and torpedo-like submersibles, used as cruise missiles. Nuclear powered Representing new weapon categories, both systems are not likely to be covered by the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

On the recent visit of HMS Ocean at the port of Haifa, the flagship of the Royal Navy participated in a mine warfare exercise at the Haifa Bay, where Israeli Seagull Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) acted as pathfinders for the British amphibious support helicopter carrier, sailing in simulated mine-infested waters. The mission was part of a joint exercise between the Israeli Navy and the British Royal Navy in Haifa Bay.

Elbit Systems has developed an unmanned anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels that enable navies to detect and defeat enemy submarines and neutralize sea mines in a safer, more efficient and affordable way. At the DSEI exhibition this week the company has demonstrated how the unmanned Seagull boats can autonomously perform anti-submarine operations over a distance of 1,890 nautical miles, with the mission controlled over a satellite link from the company's exhibit at DSEI in London.

Almost 50 unmanned systems from the UK, USA, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, and Austria participated in a month-long war game for robots, organized by the Royal Navy. Spanning air, surface and the undersea domain, ‘Unmanned Warrior 2016’ (UW16), has been in the making for almost two years, with dozens of players from different nations invited to take part in this unique operational demonstration, held as part of NATO’s Joint Warrior exercise.

Elbit Systems completed recently a trial test torpedo launch from its Seagull multi-mission, autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) system. Lightweight torpedoes are often used by anti-submarine vessels, helicopters, and aircraft against submarines located in shallow waters. This is the first instance where such weapons are used from unmanned platforms.

The US Navy plans to deploy hundreds of ‘Blackwing’ drones on manned submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles; the new, low cost, submarine launched unmanned aircraft system is optimized for Anti-Access/Aerial Denial (A2/AD) environments.

While the Singapore Airshow is primarily an aerospace event, amphibious capabilities are receiving high attention here, addressing growing interest in Singapore and other nations in the region to enabling their military and first responders to go anywhere, moving in water, through channels, swamps, or mud. Following are few of the new amphibious systems and capabilities that caught our attention at the airshow.

This hybrid drone can fly for 15 minutes, dive underwater and operate sonar sensors for 3 hour underwater surveillance missions.