UUV.

This is coolbert:

Naval asymmetric weaponry. Autonomous loitering torpedoes! Ukrainian and Iranian both.

Both item # 1 and # 2 courtesy http://www.hisutton.com | by H I Sutton |

1. "Russia Faces New Threat: Ukraine’s ‘Toloka’ Underwater Maritime Drone"

26 April 2023.

Russia Faces New Threat: Ukraine’s ‘Toloka’ Underwater Maritime Drone

"The Russian Navy has a new problem in the Black Sea. Ukrainian group Brave-1 have shown their Toloka weaponized UUV (uncrewed underwater vehicle). The design is evidently intended to operate as a form of loitering torpedo."

[....]

"This is a natural evolution of Ukraine’s maritime drones which are uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) packed with explosives. Being an underwater vehicle it is less prone to detection and harder to neutralize with gunfire. Its warhead is also impacting below the waterline so may be more likely to sink its target."

[....]

"Although it has now been shown publicly by Brave-1, it is unclear whether it is being used operationally. Multiple versions are expected, including one which is 4 meters long and claimed to have a range of 1200 km [720 miles] or 400 km [240 miles] operation radius. The figures may be ambitious, but the project is interesting and clearly has potential."

2. "New Iranian Weaponized Underwater Drone"

16 March 2022.

"Iran’s IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) has unveiled yet another new weapon. This one appears more useful than many previous grand unveilings, and is also being produced in quantity. It is essentially a blending of uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) technology and a torpedo.

"The weapon was revealed at a ceremony showcasing newly acquired boats for the IRGC-N (-Navy). It was attended by Major General Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, and Sardar Tangsiri, Commander of the IRGC-N. These parades have become a frequent occurrence, and usually have one or two new systems. Often these are ‘toys’. But sometimes, like now, they appear very credible.

Midget submarines carrying a pair of these autonomous loitering torpedoes strapped to the outside of the sub would allow for relatively covert approach to a target, fire and forget, the torpedo at leisure attacking targets, making for a safe get-away for the "mother" vessel!

coolbert.