Fast surface drone from Saildrone to hunt submarines
US company Saildrone has unveiled its largest drone to date. It is over 50 meters long and can reach a top speed of 30 knots.
Both variants of the Spectre surface drone from Saildrone
(Image: Saildrone)
US company Saildrone has unveiled a new autonomous water vehicle. Originally, the unmanned surface drones specialized in research purposes. Increasingly, however, they are also used by the military. The new one has been developed specifically for this purpose and is primarily intended for submarine warfare.
Spectre is Saildrone's largest surface drone (Unmanned Surface Vehicle, USV) to date: The hull, made of aluminum, is 52 meters long. The USV weighs 250 tons and can plow through the water at a speed of up to 30 knots, just under 56 kilometers per hour (km/h), the US company announced.
Saildrones – the name suggests it – originally moved across the water using wind power, with the drive not being a conventional sail but a rigid wing made of composite material. On the Spectre Silent Endurance, this is about 43 meters high.
In addition, there is a quiet electric motor. It manages a respectable 12 knots (a good 22 km/h). The company states the range of the Spectre Silent Endurance in electric operation at this speed as 8000 nautical miles, almost 15,000 kilometers.
Drone with 5000 HP Engine
Saildrone alternatively equips the newer, larger models with a diesel engine. On the Spectre Stealth Strike, this has an output of 5000 HP. This allows the drone, with a payload of 25 tons and full tanks, to reach 27 knots (50 km/h). When the diesel-powered Spectre is traveling at 25 knots (46 km/h) with a 25-ton load, it is said to cover almost 3300 nautical miles on a single tank of fuel in calm seas, which is over 6000 kilometers.
The cargo is stowed in a lockable bay at the stern of the Spectre. There is space for two 40-foot containers or five 20-foot containers. The maximum payload capacity is over 70 tons.
The Spectre is primarily designed for submarine warfare. For example, it can be equipped with various towed sonar systems to detect underwater vehicles, while it is hardly audible itself in sail or electric mode. Furthermore, the Spectre has a very low acoustic signature.
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Other possible uses include surface reconnaissance, electronic warfare, or mine-laying. Finally, the Spectre can also be equipped with two missile launchers.
(wpl)
