Big ear. Russia creates underwater robotic locators for hunting nuclear submarines
Russia has begun testing automatic submarines to detect submarines, including American ones, throughout the oceans. New unmanned underwater vehicles equipped with towed sonars are being tested. They can be dropped from the air or launched from the ship. AiF.ru figured out what the new underwater reconnaissance robots would be like.
To detect the noise of a submarine breaking through the water column, it is necessary to use special sonar equipment. However, installing it directly on a submarine or ship will not give results, since the noise of the carrier will drown out all other sounds. To solve this problem, highly sensitive sensors are installed on special capsules, which the ship pulls along with a long cable of many kilometers.
However, this method of detecting submarines significantly reduces the maneuverability of the warship. Nevertheless, a number of countries are armed with special ships with huge towed antennas. Their main task was to search for nuclear submarines and target aviation and anti-submarine forces at them. But due to their large size, towed antennas can only be used on the open sea, and preferably in the ocean, where there is enough depth and there is space.
In Russia, this technology has been improved, now, instead of a cable, an underwater robot is used, which will operate completely autonomously under water. Outwardly, the towing drone resembles a small submarine with a keel and several rudders. The robot will also be equipped with sonars for detecting submarines and the latest communications for transmitting data to ships and submarines. The robots will be launched into the sea, where it is possible to find enemy submarines, and their actions will be controlled directly from the ship.
The use of the robot will provide the sonars with the highest possible sensitivity. According to experts, such underwater drones will be able to calculate the location of any existing submarines. The system will detect a moving submarine at a distance of about 10 kilometers, a surface ship at a distance of 30 to 100 kilometers, and an incoming torpedo at a distance of 15 to 30 kilometers
Experts believe that the introduction of such devices into the armament of the Russian Navy will greatly simplify the detection of American submarines, including the Seawolf nuclear-powered submarines, which, due to their low noise level, can literally dissolve under water.
