【Military Second Area】Author: Lele

After scanning through the many advanced equipment that appeared in the "September 3rd" military parade, the "Army Recognition" website conducted a rather in-depth analysis of the large underwater unmanned submersible that was displayed for the first time, and finally came to the conclusion that "it is not only a technological advancement, but also a typical proof of China's military power expanding into the underwater environment."

▲Good things can't be hidden.

The article believes that the unmanned submersible with the designation AJX002 is a new weapon that can travel thousands of kilometers, carry various payloads, and operate secretly on the seabed. By equipping it with an X-shaped rudder and a pump jet propulsion system, the AJX002 has a high level of silence, making it difficult for conventional anti-submarine equipment to detect its presence in the vast ocean. The obvious lifting ears on the top indicate that it is transported into the sea by a crane, most likely from a port, but it is also possible that it is carried by a large ship and deployed at sea using a crane. In short, the "Army Recognition" website believes that the AJX002 will be used as a long-range underwater unmanned combat platform, rather than the legendary underwater nuclear weapons.

▲The size of the AJX002 unmanned submersible is indeed impressive.

In fact, this concept is not the first time it has appeared. In 2017, Boeing had commissioned Huntington Ingalls Industries to build an underwater unmanned submersible weighing 50 tons with a maximum economic range of 11,000 kilometers under the framework of the U.S. Navy project. Five years later, the two companies jointly produced a larger version of the model, but the performance of both remains unknown to the outside world, except that they are equipped with a small number of vertical weapons and have excellent situational awareness capabilities. However, the AJX002 exhibited by the domestic side does not show any signs of carrying offensive weapons, suggesting that it focuses more on enhancing the underwater situational awareness system, which is quite interesting.

▲The unmanned submersible planned by the U.S. Navy in the past.

Many countries have developed numerous underwater equipment, but none have been able to challenge the position of submarines. The key lies in the difficulty of long-distance underwater communication and control, as well as the less-than-ideal payload capacity. However, with the advancement of technology, both China and the United States have begun to develop large-scale underwater unmanned submersibles, which actually hide the idea of expanding the range of underwater surveillance. Regardless of the size of conventional submarines, they are limited by the high-density underwater environment and cannot extend their reach too far, which is why current nuclear submarines still rely on line blockades and classic tactics of group activities. However, if a large submarine can be paired with an unmanned submersible to form a combat network centered around the submarine, the situation would be completely different.

▲With the support of an unmanned submersible, a submarine can significantly increase its combat power.

Just like the key design of fifth-generation semi-fighter is to command a group of unmanned aircraft, forming an air combat network, the combat power of an advanced nuclear submarine will also experience a leap when it is supported by an unmanned submersible. With the size of the AJX002, it is no problem to carry advanced underwater depth perception equipment, and transmitting signals to a nuclear submarine with command capabilities is also technically feasible. This means that when facing opponents of the same class, the highly silent unmanned submersible can detect them first, while keeping the main submarine hidden behind. During underwater combat, the unmanned submersible equipped with lightweight torpedoes can replace the submarine to attack the opponent, avoiding exposing the latter's position.

▲Nuclear submarines always rely on stealth for survival.

Additionally, when performing tasks such as laying mines, sweeping mines, and sabotaging underwater lines, unmanned submersibles are much more suitable than submarines themselves. In short, when the level of command and control systems is sufficient, submarines are actually more eager for the support of unmanned equipment than fighter planes. For submarines, whose core survival capability is based on silence and secrecy, the enhancement of combat power is immediate, even potentially changing the way underwater conflicts are fought. The only regret is that the current level of China's nuclear submarines is limited, and to fully leverage the combat power of this model, it will take at least until after 2030. Of course, from another perspective, it is also an effective means for China to compensate for the performance of its nuclear submarines at this stage.

▲The current level of China's nuclear submarines is indeed limited.

For the U.S. Navy, although it has tried to develop large underwater unmanned submersibles for a long time, it has not achieved remarkable results. Perhaps there are hidden factors, but given the decline in the U.S. Navy's manufacturing level in recent years, it is truly not worth expecting. Compared to this, in the eyes of the "Army Recognition" website, the Chinese Navy, which has been developing multiple unmanned submersibles simultaneously since three years ago, unquestionably holds an advantage.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548671707268956726/

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