Ukraine Developing Combat UUV

OSINT Twitter is reporting that Brave1, a Ukrainian R&D consortium comprised of state, military, and private sector entities, has developed a combat unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

• A Brave1 graphic suggests that a family of vehicles ("Toloka") is under development, with three variants of different sizes - the TLK150 (2.5 meters), TLK400 (4-6 meters), and TLK1000 (6-12 meters).

  

• A vehicle pictured in a Brave1 graphic appears to be the TLK150.

  

• Vehicle propulsion and maneuvering is provided by two stern thrusters.

• A mast of approximately 20-30 inches may enable communication, GNSS navigation, as well as electro-optical sensing.

• With limited speed and endurance, the vehicle's tactical advantage would be stealth.

Energy is likely provided by lithium ion batteries, although a hydrogen fuel cell system could also be used to power larger displacement variants.

• In either case, the vehicle's crusing speed would be quite limited - likely on the order of three to six knots. Brief high speed sprints may be possible, but the vehicle would not be capable of sustaining high speeds over long periods of time.

• The TLK150 and TLK400 will have limited endurance given their smaller payload capacity, and as such would need to be deployed from close range in order to provide for operationally relevant persistent operations.

• The TLK1000 would likely have higher endurance, enabling persistence and stand-off deployment, but the mass of additional batteries would negatively impact the mass of the warhead that the vehicle could accommodate.

• The vehicle's ability to act as a loitering munition, or to form the basis of a mobile minefield, would require a high-endurance, large displacement variant that can accommodate a heavyweight warhead capable of posing a credible threat to BSF warships.

The Toloka is either remotely controlled or semi-autonomous, utilizing the mast for intermittent or ongoing communication with a human operator.

• The mast may fully submerge during operations, with the vehicle relying on an inertial waypoint navigation during submerged transit.

• Prior to engaging a target, the vehicle would likely expose the mast to receive terminal guidance.

• Remotely controlled swarm attacks could be conducted in a similar fashion to those of the UKR USVs used against Sevastopol and Novorossiysk.

Following on the success of its weaponized unmanned surface vehicle (USV), Toloka is the latest example of innovative UKR unmanned maritime platforms designed to engage the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

• There are indications that the BSF has developed countermeasures against the UKR USV using floating security booms, nets, and point defense systems positioned at the entry to Sevastopol Bay.

• As an underwater vehicle or semi-submersible, Toloka could provide UKR with the capability to penetrate layered RU port defenses at Sevastopol or Novorossisyk, which appear to be confined to the surface and air domains.

• In addition to surface and air countermeasures, RU may also have deployed underwater obstructions such as nets or metal fencing, as well as underwater intrusion detection systems, which utilize active and passive sonar to provide advance warning of diver or UUV attacks.