Can the US fend off China’s subsea drones? Its coastguard looks for answers
As China expands its fleet, the US Coast Guard is scrambling for tech to plug a gap in the nation’s maritime defences
As the Chinese military expands its autonomous underwater capabilities, the US Coast Guard is seeking new ways to counter undersea drones, highlighting what analysts describe as a gap in America’s defence.
The law enforcement agency said it was requesting information on commercially available systems capable of detecting, tracking and disabling unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
The HSU-001 is widely believed to be intended for lengthy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Far less is known about the larger AJX-002, but its size has led analysts to assess that it could carry heavier payloads and operate over much greater distances than smaller counterparts.
While technologies to detect and track UUVs already exist, the US Coast Guard said there were few tried-and-true systems to stop them once they had been identified. It is therefore seeking solutions that have already been tested – and preferably fielded – rather than concepts still under development.
The service said underwater drones were becoming increasingly common in civilian and military operations because they could operate covertly for long periods. It warned they could be used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, smuggling, sabotage or attacks on ships and ports.
