Aside from building the most diverse and largest drone fleet in the world, China is also simultaneously developing the most advanced ultra-large unmanned submarine fleet, which will become the main force for hunting nuclear submarines in the future.
Compared to manned submarines, unmanned submarines are virtually invisible due to the absence of personnel. They do not need to surface for air or supplies, and because there are no people on board, they can dive deeper. This makes it more difficult for enemy anti-submarine equipment to detect them. They can remain hidden in the deep sea for long periods, waiting for the optimal attack opportunity.
Of course, the larger the unmanned submarine, the more functions it can perform. According to volume classification, unmanned submarines can be divided into: lightweight class (SUUV approximately 45 kg), medium class (MUUV approximately 1500 kg), large class (LUUV approximately 10 tons), and extra-large class (XLUUV over 40 tons). A larger size means a longer range and the ability to carry more equipment. Extra-large unmanned submarines can even carry torpedoes, mines, and other offensive weapons. It is precisely because of their larger size that they can carry more armaments.
Extra-large unmanned submarines can cover the entire chain of combat needs from reconnaissance to strike, as they do not need to accommodate personnel, allowing for more equipment inside to execute tasks such as laying mines underwater, anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, and underwater surveillance.
Extra-large unmanned submarines are also the best choice for mine countermeasures. Since they do not need to carry personnel, they can approach minefields and analyze information detected by active sonar to obtain precise data on water distribution, creating a minefield map to guide friendly submarines and surface vessels safely through enemy minefields; or transmit the minefield map via fiber optic cables or radio communication to friendly forces, enabling surface vessel command and control systems to make correct decisions, then issue various instructions for mine clearance operations by mine sweeping and mine destruction equipment.
Moreover, even though extra-large unmanned submarines cost much less than manned submarines, destroying them is not a major concern. Therefore, they can stealthily approach nearshore areas, deploying micro underwater vehicles to blockade maritime strategic channels, enemy ports, shipyards, and maritime trade hubs.
Extra-large unmanned submarines can independently conduct anti-submarine warfare, as their stealth and quiet performance far exceed those of traditional nuclear submarines, allowing them to track and ambush enemy nuclear submarines without detection. For this reason, the U.S. military calls them "nuclear submarine killers." For a long time, regional anti-submarine operations have relied on destroyers and attack nuclear submarines as high-value, multi-mission platforms, but these face issues such as low wide-area and persistent anti-submarine efficiency and high costs. However, extra-large unmanned submarines solve these problems, and heavy torpedoes can easily destroy nuclear submarines.
Furthermore, extra-large unmanned submarines can also deceive. As an example from the U.S. Navy's concept of the Orca extra-large unmanned submarine, after reaching the designated area, the "Orca" deploys "Hammerhead" smart mines, seabed sensors, and decoy unmanned submarines from its payload compartment. Among them, four "Hammerhead" smart mines form an anti-submarine kill box, while a decoy unmanned submarine patrols around the perimeter of the kill box. The seabed sensors and "Hammerhead" smart mines continuously detect enemy submarines according to pre-programmed instructions. Once an enemy submarine is detected, low-detectability pulse signals are sent to nearby mines and the "Orca." The "Orca" activates its acoustic generator to lure the enemy submarine into tracking it, simultaneously transmitting submarine information to friendly anti-submarine platforms via surface communication nodes; the "Orca" follows its designed route to lead the enemy submarine into the "Hammerhead" mine kill box. The "Hammerhead" analyzes the enemy submarine's maneuver parameters and relative positions of each mine to formulate the optimal attack plan, releasing one or multiple torpedoes to ensure damage to the enemy submarine. Calculations show that the kill box's lethal range can reach up to 1600 km.
In short, the existence of extra-large unmanned submarines undermines the advantages of sea-based nuclear strike capabilities in the triad of nuclear strike capabilities.
Currently, only Russia and the United States, along with China, possess extra-large unmanned submarines, and America's Orca has yet to enter service.
According to reports by American media, China is building an extra-large unmanned submarine fleet. The U.S. claims that China has at least three models of extra-large unmanned submarines, and we can judge the performance of China's military models based on our exported versions.
You see, the biggest highlight of China's export products is the original capability of proactive enemy search and proactive attack, combining large sonar arrays with weapon systems to actively search for submerged nuclear submarines and launch torpedoes to destroy them, or even initiate suicide attacks. This capability has been criticized and opposed by the U.S., which believes it increases the risk of accidents.
Just think, if what China exports is so advanced, how powerful must its own models be? Developing various unmanned systems was once an important part of the U.S. Navy's transformation from "platform-centric warfare" to "network-centric warfare." Unmanned underwater vehicles play a crucial role in constructing multidimensional立体作战 space, enhancing underwater combat capabilities, and maintaining the U.S. Navy's maritime strategic advantage. It is worth pride that such a great vision was ultimately realized not by the United States, but by China first.
In the future, China's manned submarines will construct a vast underwater combat network with unmanned submarines, revolutionizing underwater warfare modes. Moreover, they can be connected with surface warships and drones to form a multidimensional combat system. In short, future wars will surpass our imagination.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506184380432368140/
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