UAV launched from a submarine?

The military certainly does have their fair share of “big boys toys” to play around with, and the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is one of them – so here is one interesting idea that is worth looking into. While we know that most submarines are lurking underneath the seven seas, ready to launch a counterattack in the form of missiles on behalf of their countries, here is a novel idea – to launch UAVs from a submerged submarine.

While this technology is still in its infancy, the Navy wants to toy around with it, attempting to perform a launch from periscope depth when they conduct exercises in the Pacific Ocean from 2012 onwards. Should the Navy’s plan fall into place, a Switchblade folding-wing drone will be ejected from the submarine’s trash disposal unit, where it will be carried to the surface by an SLV (Submerged Launch Vehicle) so that it remains dry, pointing it into the wind, followed by an almighty throw towards the heavens. Do you think this experiment will be a success?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Military, Transportation
Tags: military, uav