In the potential risk of a military showdown between China and the United States in the future, the US Navy's powerful nuclear-powered "supercarrier" strike group is basically a force that the PLA is bound to meet. It is precisely for this reason that since the beginning of the 21st century, a large number of studies have been carried out in China on the matter of "how to strike at aircraft carriers" and a series of equipment has been developed in a targeted manner. Now, another novel technical idea has been successfully implemented, and the new tactical method of operation brought to the anti-aircraft carrier operation is undoubtedly worthy of our joy.
Footage of the report of the CCTV military channel
In a recent episode of "China Military Trumpet" broadcast by CCTV's military channel, for the first time, a scene of the People's Navy's submarine force releasing an unmanned underwater vehicle appeared underwater. Judging from the video, with the commander's order, a yellow unmanned underwater vehicle was fired from the torpedo tube in the bow of the submarine. The rear of the submarine is equipped with a wire similar to a wire-guided torpedo, and the other end of the wire is connected to the submarine, which means that the relevant operators in the submarine can control the submarine and receive various data transmitted by the submarine in real time.
The unmanned underwater vehicle has a wire attached to the submarine in the tail section
Many people may not know that the US Navy's submarine force tested the release of an unmanned underwater vehicle by submarine torpedo tubes for the first time in December last year, which is also the first time in the world that such equipment is released underwater by a submarine, which is considered a brand-new attempt in the field of underwater warfare. Just a few months later, China has disclosed the same technology and capabilities, which obviously shows that we have been deeply engaged in this field for many years, and it also means that China's military industry is no longer limited to "catching up with the world's advanced technology trend", but has reached the level of "keeping pace with the world's advanced technology trend". It is believed that in the near future, the scene of "China's new technology can lead the world trend" will come true.
PLA submarine forces
As for the release of unmanned underwater vehicles by submarines, one of its major significance is that it greatly improves the underwater silence of submarines, and its tactical value lies in the suddenness of underwater ambush warfare. How to reduce the underwater navigation noise of submarines as much as possible and thus avoid being discovered by the enemy's anti-submarine warfare forces has always been one of the important issues in the development of submarines. Although many countries have used many noise reduction technologies on submarines, such as silencing tiles, drop-line hulls and shaftless pump pushes, from the most ideal point of view, submarines can really make their own noise infinitely close to zero when they are stationary underwater.
Domestic unmanned underwater vehicles
However, standing still underwater means that it is difficult for the submarine to grasp the movement in the surrounding waters, such as not being able to detect the whereabouts of enemy submarines or surface ships outside a certain range, which is equivalent to greatly limiting its situational awareness. At this time, the significance and value of the unmanned underwater vehicle that can be released by the submarine is revealed, the unmanned underwater vehicle is small in size and low noise, and can even be masked by the noise emitted by the ocean current, and has excellent underwater navigation concealment. With the help of the data and information collected by the unmanned underwater vehicles that can move forward, the submarine can grasp all the situations in the relevant waters in real time without revealing itself.
Unmanned underwater vehicles with extremely high concealment
In actual combat, PLA submarines carrying such equipment can turn off their engines and stand still after sailing to the periphery of the waters where enemy ships may be active, and then quietly shoot out unmanned underwater vehicles to conduct hidden exploration of relevant areas and further search for the whereabouts of enemy ships. It is likely that this tactic will have the effect that it is not until the PLA submarines launch an attack that the enemy ships finally notice it, but it is too late.
Submarine-launched drones
If it is said that the unmanned underwater vehicle that can be released by submarines has greatly improved the underwater combat capability of the People's Navy, then if it is combined with the domestically produced "Peregrine Falcon" suicide drone/cruise missile that can be launched from underwater exposed last year, the PLA submarine can almost be regarded as an underwater arsenal ship that can launch an "unmanned equipment 'wolf pack offensive'". At that time, Northwestern Polytechnical University successfully tested the launch of the "Peregrine Falcon" suicide drone/cruise missile in the way of underwater vertical launch, and many people speculated that the next generation of nuclear submarines and conventional submarines of the Chinese Navy will integrate relevant technologies and equipment, and a single boat can carry and launch multiple suicide drones/cruise missiles, and then launch a "wolf pack offensive" against enemy ship formations.
PLA submarines are expected to become "underwater unmanned equipment arsenal ships"
Today, not only the unmanned equipment for submarines that can attack from the air, but also the unmanned underwater vehicles that can be used by submarines, which means that PLA submarines are evolving in the direction of "underwater unmanned equipment arsenal ships", and the combat effectiveness is really extraordinary. Perhaps in the near future, "destroying an aircraft carrier strike group with a single boat" will no longer be a luxury, and the overall combat strength of the People's Navy will be raised to a higher level.