Unmanned Airborne ASW: USING UAVS FOR ASW MAY PROVIDE WIDER, PERSISTENT COVERAGE AT REDUCED COST

摘要

With the increasing numbers of Chinese and Russian submarines venturing farther from home waters -plus the more local threats of Iranian and North Korean sub- marines-ASW in recent years has taken on a renewed focus with the U.S. and allied navies. The U.S. Navy fields squadrons of land-based P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft and ship-based MH-60R Seahawk helicopters with the primary role of ASW. The long-range P-8s can search large areas of ocean at high altitudes, notionally a 12-hour mission including a four-hour transit, four hours on station and a four-hour return to base. The P-8 can locate and pounce on a deploying or patrolling submarine, attacking with torpedoes. The shorter range MH-60R provides ASW protection for a carrier strike group or for an individual surface warship, patrolling the local area of ocean or pouncing on and attacking a located submarine.