Underwater drones for searching and escorting enemy submarines out of Russian waters have already been designed and manufactured, and are currently undergoing testing, Saint Petersburg's famous Rubin Design Bureau has revealed.
At last week's Army 2021 International Forum, held just outside of Moscow, a representative from the company announced that the drones are already in the sea, being put through their paces.
"Robots, unlike submarines, can also use non-detectable methods to search for the enemy, such as active hydroacoustics," the representative noted. "And, of course, destroying such a vehicle because of its small size and maneuverability is not only difficult but also economically unprofitable."
Also on rt.com Russian Army unveils electric recon vehicle with solar batteries and drone landing pad (PHOTOS)These unmanned drones will be used to search and track enemy submarines.
"Another option is to create a very large vessel, with a large energy reserve and sophisticated detection capabilities, with a displacement of tens of tons. They are already being built and tested," the representative continued.
Rubin already has a history of successfully building unmanned submersibles. In 2019, the Vityaz-D was the first autonomous vehicle to dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the sea's deepest point.
Earlier this year, Rubin revealed that it had produced the first Russian patrol ship with a diving capability to be sold on the foreign market.
"Rubin presents the first modification of a submergible patrol vessel that combines the advantages of a submarine and a surface patrol ship," its press office said.
Like this story? Share it with a friend!