Last May, the final test of the “UAV on submarine” (“UAV sus sous-marin”) pilot program was held off Toulon. 

The objective of this project was to deploy a quadcopter UAV, designed by the French SME company Diodon, from a submerged submarine in order to recover video data and pilot it from the submarine.

During the tests, the system was sent from the nuclear attack submarine (SSN) Amethyst (Rubis-class) in the Mediterranean. The UAV came to the surface in a waterproof protective cocoon designed by Naval Group. 

On the surface, this cocoon opened and the UAV positioned itself above sea level. The SSN then raised its communication antenna to establish the data link. Once communication was established, the UAV was piloted from the submarine, providing video feedback from the UAV’s camera on the operator’s console.

According to the French Ministry of Defence, this project aims to increase the vision of the submarine in its environment. Using a UAV will allow the submarine to extend the perimeter and horizon of its sensors as well as capabilities such as intelligence missions, surveillance, reconnaissance, and transportation of small packages to special forces in the field.

According to Diodon, the UAV HP30 is equipped with high-performance day/night sensors, while its inflatable structure renders it unsinkable. In fact, it can land, take off and move around in the water to sea state 4 as well as on land or the deck of a ship.

The said system can cover a broad spectrum of short-range action at sea missions, such as maritime security, safety, and pollution control. 

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HP30’s Technical characteristics:

• Weight: < 2 kg  
• Deployment: < 2 minutes 
• Endurance: 30 minutes
• Operational range: 3 nautical miles

These features open up new tactical possibilities, as the submarine’s overall situational awareness will be improved as a result of this innovation. This program aims to incorporate a game-changing operational capability into the existing fleet in the medium term.

Except for France, the US, and Israel are currently pursuing similar capabilities. 

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