Latest news with #UUV
Telegraph
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
China's huge new unmanned submarine lies in wait for HMS Prince of Wales
China appears to have developed an enormous robotic submarine. If so, China's rivals – Taiwan and the United States, among others – need to figure out what the sub is for. And fast. This year, Britain's Royal Navy will also be thinking hard about it, as its Carrier Strike Group has just set out on a voyage to the Indo-Pacific. One possible mission might be among the most alarming. Large unmanned underwater vehicles are uniquely suited for covert minelaying: seeding shallow water with munitions that can break the keel of all but the largest warships. In early February, China-watcher MT Anderson spotted in satellite imagery what appeared to be an approximately 150-foot submarine with cruciform fins and a very short sail. It could be a crewless design – a development of an even larger experimental UUV that appeared in China in 2018. With just that satellite imagery to analyse, it's impossible to say for sure whether the new sub is unmanned and what it's for. But consider: among the many possible scenarios is a Chinese blockade of Taiwan. Last year, the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC concluded that a blockade by the People's Liberation Army is actually the likeliest Chinese strategy for coercing Taiwan. 'This scenario aligns most closely with PLA doctrinal writings,' CSIS pointed out. Underwater minefields, carefully positioned to strangle trade to and from Taiwan, could thread an important strategic needle: weakening Taiwan without provoking US intervention, CSIS pointed out. 'Mines serve to deter vessels from attempting to run the blockade, and they offer a more passive means for the PLA to threaten noncompliant ships,' CSIS explained. 'Without mines, China's forces will need to play a more active role in stopping entry into Taiwan and may therefore be put in more situations in which commanders have to make decisions about exactly how to engage.' An announced military exercise would provide cover for the minelaying. 'During the exercises, PLA submarines covertly lay sea mines at the entrances of Taiwan's major ports,' the think-tank posited. 'The mines are timed to activate later to coincide with the start of blockade operations.' The problem, of course, is how to emplace those mines without the Taiwanese military noticing. The waters around Taiwan are shallow. And Taiwanese and allied intelligence carefully track the comings and goings of the PLA Navy's manned submarines. 'Covert minelaying can be difficult,' according to CSIS. Unmanned submarines, which could spend weeks or even months slowly trawling the China Seas, may stand a better chance of evading detection. Note that the US Navy plans to assign its own large UUV, the 84-foot Orca, to minelaying duties. Deploying the $50-million robotic subs to lay mines not only answers a fleet requirement, Orca program manager Capt. Matt Lewis told The War Zone, it also avoids asking too much of an immature technology. Dropping a mine from the UUV is 'probably most akin to opening a door and having a payload drop out of it, slide out of it, fall out of it,' Lewis said. If the Chinese UUV is also immature – and there's no reason to believe it isn't – it too could perform minelaying missions not just to meet an urgent requirement, but also to make good use of a new technology that's not yet capable of more complex tasks. In that case, it's worth asking: what might the Chinese UUV do next? 'My perception of doing work like this is, we're at the initial stages … similar to aviation back in the early 20th century,' Lewis said of the Orca. 'I think we're at the early stages of figuring all that out. So, tremendous opportunity with Orca to go learn and expand what we can do and provide other new capabilities for the Navy.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bascom Hunter Acquires Candent Technologies, a Provider of Propulsion and Power Systems for the Aerospace and Defense Market
BATON ROUGE, La., April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bascom Hunter is pleased to announce the acquisition of Candent Technologies (Candent), a leading innovator in propulsion and power systems for the aerospace and defense (A&D) market. Based in Greenfield, Indiana, Candent has established itself as a trusted provider of small to medium-sized propulsion and power systems for both manned and unmanned platforms including USV, UUV, and UAV. Candent specializes in advanced turbomachinery, small heavy-fuel engines, quiet propulsors for marine vessels, electric-driven thrusters, electrical power generation, air compressors, 3D-printed heat exchangers, and energy recovery systems. These systems are designed to provide reliable, high-density power and propulsion solutions in compact packages. The company serves a diverse clientele across various sectors, including military, commercial, and government entities. Candent was founded in 2001 by Hernando Munevar, Emanuel Papandreas, and Javier Camba. This acquisition broadens Bascom Hunter's portfolio by adding power systems to its product offerings. It also further strengthens its leading position in environmental control systems and components. Candent's legacy of engineering excellence and technological innovation aligns with Bascom Hunter's commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions to our customers. "Candent has a long history of designing and developing state-of-the-art power systems for challenging applications. The company has deep domain expertise and a strong focus on the customer mission," said Bascom Hunter's CEO, Andrew McCandless. Candent will be aligned under Bascom Hunter's Xcelaero division, a leading provider of environmental control systems and components for the aerospace and defense market. Mr. McCandless added, "Candent is a great company that shares Bascom Hunter's commitment to technical excellence, quality, and customer satisfaction. I'm excited about the expertise that their employees will bring to Bascom Hunter for power systems." Candent is the fifth company Bascom Hunter has acquired since 2019. About Bascom Hunter: Bascom Hunter is headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA and has two divisions, Xcelaero and BH Tech, that provide the A&D industry with sophisticated products. The company maintains a corporate commitment to quality, with our design and manufacturing operations certified to AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015. For more information visit: or contact us through inquire@ About Bascom Hunter's Xcelaero Division: Xcelaero is a leader in providing environmental control systems (ECS) and components for harsh operating conditions within the A&D market. The business has a large catalog of components and systems and provides bespoke solutions. Xcelaero designs equipment to provide high performance while also being low weight, low noise, and highly reliable. In addition, our hardware is designed to the meet the challenging mil spec. requirements, certifications, and qualification for the A&D market. This includes MIL-STD 810, MIL-STD-461, DO-160, DO-178, design assurance level (DAL) A, DAL B, DAL C, and DAL D. Xcelaero has designed and qualified equipment for military vehicles and aircraft. Our ECS include thermal management system (TMS), vapor cycle systems (VCS) and liquid cooling systems (LCS). Our ECS components includes fans, compressors, valves, power electronics, power systems, control electronics and other critical components for ECS. For more information visit: About Bascom Hunter's BH Tech Division: BH Tech supplies the defense market with class-leading advanced electronics for applications in artificial intelligence (AI), signal intelligence, resilient communications, and signal processing. We provide highly customized solutions expertly designed for the challenges facing our warfighters. Product lines within BH Tech include advanced systems, RF front ends, mixed signal products and digital products. Our advanced systems product line brings together our expertise from multiple domains along with our many teaming partners to provide solutions in SATCOM, RADAR, RF communication and test/development platforms for RF or satellite communication. For more information visit: MEDIA CONTACT:Emily Turner, Bascom Hunter Technologies, Inc., (225) 590-3553, turner@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Bascom Hunter
