Israel's BlueWhale unmanned submarine took part in NATO military exercises

NATO held a military exercise this month. Israel's BlueWhale unmanned submarine participated in the event.

Here's What We Know

The autonomous submarine was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) with the support of German firm Atlas Elektronik. BlueWhale has the designation ELI-3325.

During the exercise, the unmanned submarine successfully carried out several operations. BlueWhale's tasks included submarine detection, acoustic reconnaissance, and identification of sea and shore targets.

The Israeli submarine is 10.9 metres long and 1.12 metres in diameter. Its weight is approximately 5,500kg. A full battery charge lasts for 30 days, but the operating time depends on what tasks the submarine is performing.

BlueWhale's operating speed in the underwater position is 3.6-5.4 km/h. If necessary, the submarine can accelerate to almost 13 km/h. From the equipment it is worth noting the presence of a radar reconnaissance station and sonars. Satellite communication is also provided.

Source: Shephard Media