For everyone, they are the Blue Whales, because they derive from the Israeli Blue Whale. The technical name is actually more complex: UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles) with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of large size (Large Displacement Autonomous Underwater Vehicles-LDAUV). These are three unmanned underwater vehicles, the acquisition of which is under examination by parliamentary committees: this is stated in the Senate document relating to the Government Act 139 for the multi-year A/R Program no. SMD 17/2023, named «ISR and ASW Capability launchable from naval platform via autonomous underwater system».
The program
In addition to the acquisition of the three vehicles, the program includes logistical support, remote control command station, and launch and recovery accommodations from ships and submarines. The total value is 254.3 million euros, and it will last for 13 years (from 2023 to 2035).
The underwater vehicles
The 3 underwater vehicles are created in cooperation with Israel based on the LDAUV Blue Whale made by ELTA Systems (part of the Israel Aerospace Industries -IAI) with the integration of payloads and national production systems involving Italian companies Elettronica, FAAM (for the supply of lithium-ion batteries), Cabi Cattaneo (for the development of accommodations for the vehicle integration with submarine and naval platforms), ICS Technologies (for the integration of the sonar suite), BATS Italy (for logistical support).
What missions can the Blue Whale accomplish
The Blue Whale can be used for various operations:
• Underwater detection with Towed Array Sonar (TAS) • Passive acoustic information gathering with side and towed sonars • Covert mine detection and other mine countermeasure (MCM) activities • ISR missions on the surface and submerged in coastal waters • Scout for submarines • Support special forces with scouting and material transport tasks
The Blue Whale has a displacement of 5.5 tons, is 10.9 meters long, has a maximum sea autonomy of one month, navigates at 7 knots submerged and up to 300 meters deep while its mast can carry various useful loads including radar and satellite communication systems.
The costs
ELTA - as read on Defense Analysis - has provided an estimate of costs of about 250 million euros, of which 111 for the benefit of Italian companies for the acquisition of 3 vehicles, logistical support, command control station, and launch and recovery accommodations for the underwater vehicles.
The joint development of the unmanned underwater vehicle that the document defines as “Italian-Israelian Blue Whale” (IIBW) is regulated by a Framework Arrangement and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by the respective Defense Secretariats in December 2021, regarding cooperation in the field of LDAUVs. The program will thus allow the Navy to be part of the exclusive club of naval forces that have such means and the national industry to acquire sovereign technological skills.
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