Defence Japan working on new submarine drone

[thomas]

In December 2023, ATLA granted limited access to their Iwakuni Maritime Environment Test & Evaluation Satellite (IMETS) facility, where they showcased their experimental XLUUV, the "Long Endurance UUV." This facility in Yamaguchi Prefecture is dedicated to testing and advancing UUVs.

The "Long Endurance UUV," first revealed at DSEI Japan 2023, is an experimental XLUUV constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI) and is under development by ATLA's Naval Systems Research Center. With Japan's demographic challenges of an ageing population and declining birthrate, there's a growing difficulty in operating unmanned equipment, particularly in training submarine crews and maintaining vessel numbers. Consequently, Japan is intensifying its research and development efforts on UUVs to enhance its underwater defence capabilities in the future potentially.

Photo credit: Yoshihiro Inaba​

As the name "long endurance" implies, this UUV is intended to operate autonomously over a long period of time, and currently, in its basic configuration (10 meters in length), it has achieved a week of continuous operation at 3 to 4 knots. However, this is only a milestone, and ATLA aims to achieve even longer continuous operation. Lithium-ion batteries power the UUV, but ATLA is currently considering using liquid/solid fuel batteries and AIP and diesel-electric engines to achieve a longer cruising range. [...] Additional payload modules are being researched, including an "underwater equipment installation module" to carry heavy payloads such as sensors/communication nodes, an "ocean observation module" to have various oceanographic survey equipment, a "surface launch module" for launching drones or other equipment at the surface, and an "ocean surveillance module" to conduct effective Maritime Domain Awareness（MDA).

Our First Look at Japan's New XLUUV Submarine Drone - Naval News

Japan’s ATLA has showed to Naval News its Extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV), which now is now at R&D phase.

www.navalnews.com

 

[johnnyG]

With Japan's demographic challenges of an ageing population and declining birthrate, there's a growing difficulty in operating unmanned equipment, particularly in training submarine crews and maintaining vessel numbers. Consequently, Japan is intensifying its research and development efforts on UUVs to enhance its underwater defence capabilities in the future potentially.

I suppose that's an important factor, but I was just reading that due to drones of various kinds, and their potential numbers, the days of a carrier-as-weapons-platform are numbered.

Add just enough AI, and the birthrate becomes irrelevant.

China has been building up its navy, but there are really only two avenues for chinese ships to get to the pacific--between taiwan and the philippines, or somehow thru the Okinawan chain--miyako to naha being the biggest gap. I don't think they'd have much success either way (and if they did get 'out', they might not get back).

China's use of a multitude of civilian boats to enhance its navy is also seen as a unique threat, but again, drones may be an answer to that.