Page 14: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2024)

SUBSEA DEFENSE ing boards of several navies. miles (8,148,250 square kilometers). The aging Collins boats

Last year, North Korea unveiled what it claims is a nuclear- are currently undergoing emergency maintenance to extend powered torpedo, Haeil (Tsunami), capable of standoff de- their lives into the next decade, as AUKUS Virginia-class ployment against surface or coastal targets. In 2022, scientists boats are not set to arrive until the 2030s. Meanwhile, to aug- with the China Institute of Atomic Energy published a pa- ment their submarine coverage, the RAN is investing heavily per outlining a concept for a nuclear-powered heavyweight in uncrewed systems, most notably Ghost Shark, an XL-AUV torpedo. Perhaps the most sensational use case of underwater from Anduril Industries. It is widely understood that Ghost nuclear power is Russia’s nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed Sharks are intended to deter Chinese maritime aggression, in-

Poseidon, an intercontinental, autonomous torpedo capable of cluding submarine incursions, and possibly assist in defend- striking coastal cities or aircraft carrier strike groups. While ing subsea infrastructure. (Australia is connected to some two the viability of nuclear-powered underwater systems is up for dozen subsea cables.) debate, these concepts underscore the broader recognition of A large number of vehicles will be needed to provide the endurance as a critical factor in uncrewed underwater opera- RAN with persistent, wide area anti-submarine and seabed de- tions. For UUVs, higher endurance means longer range, and fense operations. The Ghost Shark power system has not been the capability to patrol larger regions of water space. Lower disclosed, but it will come with energy constraints that limit endurance could mean dangerous gaps in sensor coverage or its range and endurance, in? uencing the scope and scale of its combat capability, imposing higher procurement costs in the missions and, in turn, the number of Ghost Sharks required to form of additional vehicles or other platforms to ensure per- successfully carry them out. AUKUS Pillar two calls for the sistent, wide area operations. transfer of “advanced undersea capabilities,” which could be

A current example of this is Australia. For nearly thirty used to augment submarine/XL-AUV coverage. For example, years, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has relied on a ? eet resident UUV systems could provide ongoing surveillance of of six Collins-class diesel-electric submarines to patrol its cables, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Vehicles such as the

EEZ - the third largest EEZ in the world at 3,146,060 square Saab Sabertooth, or the Oceaneering Freedom, which was

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