Page 11: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2024)

than the surface or air domains, but they will continue to fall, and it is certainly

About the Author possible that a determined actor could

David R. Strachan is a defense analyst and founder of construct its own poor man’s submarine

Strikepod Systems, a research and strategic advisory force. Even a handful of crudely weap- focusing on autonomous undersea systems.

onized AUVs, strategically employed, could destabilize commercial shipping, delay or disrupt naval operations, or deny a more powerful adversary’s access to the sea.

The question then becomes – how might these weaponized AUVs be countered?

The current approach to mine counter- measures (MCM) – “? nd, ? x, ? nish” – will need to quickly evolve. For warships operating in contested littoral areas, ad- vanced hull-mounted sonars, such as the

AN/SQQ-89A installed aboard Arleigh

Burke-class destroyers which can detect and track a wide range of underwater contacts, would be key to warning of in- bound AUVs. Intruder detection systems (IDS) would be critical for ports, coastal facilities, and anchored commercial ves- sels as these would be most vulnerable to weaponized AUVs. But once a threat is identi? ed, innovative solutions will be needed to neutralize them, such as rapid- ly deployable nets or fencing. Underwa- ter kinetic effectors might disable incom- ing vehicles, and anti-torpedo torpedoes may be effective against larger, slower moving AUVs.

The employment of overwhelming combat power against an enemy is the key to success in war, but how effective- ly that power is delivered can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Armed AUVs are a natural evolution of undersea warfare and they will con- tinue to evolve, incorporating greater endurance, mobility, and lethality, and in? uencing the operations and tactics of small and large navies alike. While high-value, long-range AUVs bristling with sensors and weapons may provide larger navies with combat overmatch against peer or near-peer adversaries, large numbers of mobile, weaponized underwater vehicles could be an asym- metric gamechanger for smaller actors seeking to strengthen their maritime power.

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