Euronaval 2024 – BlackBird, a submarine-deployed UAS from Alseamar
Capable to perform different types of mission, depending on its payload, the BlackBird, under development by Alseamar, exploits the capabilities of the company X-SUB expendable buoys to increase the boat captain situational awareness
Based in Rousset, north of Marseille, Alseamar is a company specialised in high-tech marine and submarine equipment. Among its products we find X-SUB expendable communication buoys (ECBs) that allow a submarine at depth to communicate with above the surface. These are available in three different types, one providing GPS and AIS data, one allowing radiofrequency communications, and one that copes with satellite communication, both voice and data.
They come in two different diameters, 3 inch and 4 inch. The AIS/GPS one is a 3 inch object, its tether being a copper cable 2 km long, can be deployed at a maximum depth of 150 metres and a maximum speed of 6 knots, and can operate for 15 minutes.
Two X-SUB models, 3-inch and 4-inch, are available for the RF Wideband and the Iridium SATCOM, respectively with a 3 km and 7 km fibre optic tether and a communication duration of 25 or 55 minutes when operating at 4 knots. The RF Wideband is capable to receive RF signals in the 10 kHz-3 GHz range while it transmits in the 100MHz-2 GHz range, the Iridium ECB ensuring all Iridium services. The two buoys have the same depth ad speed limits of the AIS/GPS one.
These ECBs are at TRL 9, as they are fully operational with the French Marine Nationale.
At Euronaval 2024 Alseamar exhibits in the French Minisstry of the Armies stand its BlackBird unmanned air vehicle, an encapsulated quadcopter with a mass of 1.5 kg, which can be launched by the same 4-inch device used for ECBs and exploits the X-SUB RF Wideband buoy to ensure control and data flow from and to the submarine. When the submarine captain will decide he needs information from above surface, he will first deploy the drone then will release the X-SUB RF Wideband buoy. Once the drone capsule surfaces it releases the BlackBird which arms and two-blade rotors rotate outwards, electric motors are activated and starts its flight, endurance being around 45 minutes with a speed between 40 and 80 km/h, the operational altitude being between 50 and over 100 metres. Usually it navigates via waypoints, and its payload can be of different types, EW, radio relay, ISR or others. It is interfaced with the submarine battle management system and its suite will allow automatic reconnaissance, also exploiting artificial intelligence algorithms, all communications with the submarine going through the X-SUB ECB. Currently tests are carried out with a portable ground control station which is 600x500x1000 mm and has a mass of 10 kg, but when adopted this should certainly be integrated in the submarine C2 system.
The BlackBird has already been deployed from depth, and the company should soon carry out a full test. Alseamar is awaiting the green light from the French Délégation Générale pour l’Armement to proceed with full development. Currently the BlackBird is considered at TRL 6, the design being nearly frozen. EDR On-Line understood that the company is also looking at the export market, several potential customers having shown great interest in the submarine-deployed UAS currently under development.
Photos by P. Valpolini
