The United States is actively engaged in the direction of unmanned surface ships for various purposes. One of the most interesting projects of this kind is the construction of an autonomous anti-submarine defense boat known as the ACTUV / MDUSV / Sea Hunter. While this BEC is under testing, but in the future it may enter service. The task of the "Sea Hunter" will be to patrol the given areas and search for submarines of a potential enemy. It is obvious that the new American BEC will pose a threat to Russian submarines, and therefore it is necessary to look for methods to counter it.
The boat and its capabilities
BEC Sea Hunter is currently the main result of the ACTUV program (ASW Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel). It has been under development since the beginning of the tenth years, and in 2016 it was launched and put out for testing. Since then, "Sea Hunter" has solved a lot of problems of various kinds and has shown its capabilities. So, recently, the boat independently and autonomously made its way from California to the Hawaiian Islands and then returned back.
The Sea Hunter is a 40 m long trimaran boat with a total displacement of 145 tons. Most of the onboard equipment is housed in a narrow main hull. Two smaller outriggers are also used. A characteristic feature of the experienced BEC is the presence of a cockpit for the crew - if necessary, it can be operated by people.
"Sea Hunter" has a power plant in the form of two economical diesel engines connected with two propellers. The screws are protected against cables and nets. The boat can reach speeds of up to 27 knots. Autonomy is determined by the characteristics of the tasks being solved and the fuel supply. According to the terms of reference, Sea Hunter must operate on the high seas for 1-3 months. Efficiency is ensured with excitement up to 5 points and survival with 7 points.
Onboard equipment is able to take into account information from various sensors and sources and control the operation of the boat. It is possible to perform transitions along a specific route bypassing dangerous areas, patrolling designated water areas, etc. In parallel, the BEC must search for underwater objects. In the future, it is planned to equip it with its own weapons to destroy the found submarines.
One of the main elements of the ACTUV program is a promising compact hydroacoustic complex for the new BEC. With the help of active and passive means, the boat must monitor the underwater situation. Information about the identified objects is transmitted to the operator or consumers. The person must make a decision on further actions of the PLO.
The low cost of operating new equipment is especially noted. Day of operational work Sea Hunter will cost taxpayers 15-20 thousand dollars. The work of the destroyer for the same period will cost more than 700 thousand. The cost of building a destroyer and a boat also differ by orders of magnitude.
While Sea Hunter is undergoing trials. After all the necessary checks, the BEC can be put into service. According to the latest reports, the Pentagon plans to spend $ 400 million on two promising large BECs in FY2020. However, it has not yet been specified which boats are in question. Possibly two new ACTUV / MDSUV boats will be purchased.
Why is he dangerous
The Sea Hunter was designed as a relatively simple and cheap means of finding enemy submarines. It is assumed that the "Hunters" in large numbers will patrol dangerous areas and identify threats. Depending on the further development of the project, the BEC will be able to both call aircraft or PLO ships, and independently destroy the found target.
Unfortunately, the exact characteristics of the new boat's GAK remain unknown. Apparently, it uses well-known principles of location, but its parameters have not been disclosed. This does not allow a full assessment of new American developments.
The main danger of the Sea Hunter BEC for submarines is associated with the possibility of mass construction and full-scale operation. Unlike large and expensive ships, small and cheap boats will be able to work together and cover designated waters. In addition, such coverage of areas will be less costly. Recent tests have shown that Sea Hunters can operate in both coastal and offshore areas. At the same time, full interaction with other surface ships, submarines and anti-submarine aircraft is ensured.
With the help of new technology, the US Navy will be able to deploy in the shortest possible time in a dangerous area a whole network of boats with SACs capable of calling up carriers of weapons of destruction. High autonomy in terms of fuel will ensure long-term preservation of the PLO line and the ability to move it in the desired direction. Overcoming such an obstacle will be an extremely difficult task for submarines.
First of all, anti-submarine BECs are planned to be deployed along the coast of the United States. They will be able to work both in the coastal and in the near or far sea zone. This will ensure the removal of the submarine detection lines at a sufficient distance. The possibility of including "Sea Hunters" in the composition of aircraft carrier strike groups is also being considered. In this case, the boats will interact with surface ships and provide PLO orders on the high seas.
Sea Hunter has limited dimensions and displacement, which makes it impossible to equip it with an advanced anti-submarine weapon system. At the same time, installation of compact launchers or bomb releasers is possible. The limited ammunition load of a separate BEC will be compensated by the ability to call other combat units.
Thus, with the successful completion of the current ACTUV / MDSUV program, the US Navy will receive a modern and convenient tool for improving anti-submarine defense. The advantages of unmanned systems are being actively implemented in various fields, and in the future they can contribute to the improvement of the US Navy's PLO.
What to do with him
The development and future construction of the Sea Hunter BEC are aimed at reducing the potential of the submarine forces of third countries. Boats will look for submarines, and those, in turn, will have to overcome new frontiers of ASW. The American side does not hide the fact that the creation of new BECs for PLO is associated with the construction of submarines in Russia and China.
The best way to get past your defenses is to bypass them. The presence of a mass of unmanned boats with the ability to quickly deploy in different areas complicates this task. The fleets of China or Russia will have to search for BEC and determine the areas of their deployment. Submarine patrol routes should be planned or adjusted in accordance with this information. To solve such problems, it is necessary to use satellite, radio engineering and other types of reconnaissance.
However, situations are possible in which the submarine will have to break through the line of defense. In this case, the issues of secrecy that lie at the heart of any submarine project come to the fore. The limited physical fields of the boat, the absence of unmasking radiation, as well as the competent use of natural factors contribute to a successful breakthrough. Unfortunately, the characteristics of the Sea Hunter SJC are classified, and therefore it is still difficult to say how exactly the submarine will be able to pass it unnoticed.
With the help of the Sea Hunter BEC and the like, it is proposed to cover the US coast and ship groups on the high seas. They should form a closed area around the protected object, but the size of this area is not infinite. An enemy submarine can strike from outside the protected area. Thus, missiles of various classes with a flight range of hundreds of kilometers can become an effective means of countering the new BEC. Using them, the submarine leaves the enemy's ASW, although the missiles can be intercepted by air defense.
In the context of unmanned systems, one can also recall electronic warfare, but its use does not seem particularly useful. To suppress the radio communications of the BEC, the carrier of the electronic warfare station must approach them at a certain distance. At the same time, he unmasks himself and becomes a priority target.
However, all these considerations are still related to the distant future. At the moment, the main enemy of the "Sea Hunter" and the ACTUV program in general are technical difficulties and the need for further funding. Without solving all the problems of this kind, Sea Hunter or other BECs have no real prospects.
Threat from the future
Currently, the only experienced Sea Hunter BEC is being tested and demonstrates very high performance. In the future, it may go into mass production, which is necessary to form full-fledged unmanned groups. Thus, in a few years, the US Navy may acquire a fundamentally new element of anti-submarine defense.
The new boats will significantly increase the potential of ASW, but they are unlikely to be able to make it fundamentally insurmountable. The competing countries of the United States need to take this into account and plan accordingly the development of their submarine forces and the navy as a whole. If the Pentagon manages to bring Sea Hunter boats or other similar developments to full operation, third countries will be ready for such threats. Otherwise, they will still remain in an advantageous position, since they will receive a developed fleet.
