Greece mulls procuring Israeli unmanned submarines – report

As a part of its arms buildup in response to Turkish threats, Greece is contemplating procuring at the least 10 of the Blue Whale unmanned submarine manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, Greek web site “Epikaira” reviews.

Greece is concerned about strengthening its capabilities to observe and shield its maritime borders, over which it has disputes with Turkey. In contrast to Greece, Turkey refused to signal the Continental Shelf Conference and the United Nations Conference on the Legislation of the Sea (UNCLOS), as a result of it doesn’t settle for the worldwide group’s prevailing consensus that islands are impartial components of the mainland that aren’t linked to the mainland. In different phrases, each island – Greek on this case – has an impartial continental shelf, because of which it’s entitled to territorial waters of 12 nautical miles.

Turkey sees some Greek islands as an extension of Anatolia. In keeping with Turkey, earthquakes have precipitated water to enter between the mainland and the islands, together with Cyprus, subsequently all of the islands had been derived from the mainland and usually are not entitled to territorial; waters of 12 nautical miles. The shortage of settlement on this situation led to a “compromise” between Turkey and Greece, and right this moment every island is entitled to 6 nautical miles. However resulting from this tense state of affairs, “Epikaira” reviews that the Greek Navy is contemplating procuring at the least 10 Blue Whale autonomous underwater automobiles.

This unmanned submarine is the product of a collaboration between IAI and German firm Atlas Electronics. Blue Whale allows intelligence gathering by way of a telescopic mast that emerges from the water throughout diving (just like a submarine periscope), on which radar and electro-optical techniques are put in to detect targets at sea and on shore. Utilizing the satellite tv for pc communication antennas on the mast, the data collected is transmitted in actual time to designated command posts, which will be situated at sea and on shore.

Can patrol for at the least 10 days

“Epikaira” reviews that Blue Whale’s has a size of 10.9 meters, diameter of 1.12 meters, and weighs 5.5 tons. It’s electrically powered, can attain a velocity of seven knots and is able to patrolling for at the least ten days. Submarine detection and acoustic intelligence gathering is carried out utilizing a tens of meters lengthy sonar, which is put in on each side of the submarine. In keeping with the VMR Analysis Institute, the marketplace for navy unmanned submarines is predicted to develop from about $3.4 billion in 2021 to about $8 billion in 2030. In keeping with a report on the ZM web site final July, Blue Whale is meant to be a big weapon in opposition to Iran, which is increasing its maritime actions.

“Epikaira” says the Blue Whale model that IAI is providing Greek officers consists of adaptation to the operational traits of the Aegean Sea. Blue Whale may match effectively into the Greek protection system’s armament plan for the subsequent 12 years, as a result of it consists of the necessity for unmanned underwater automobiles to take care of the Turkish risk. The Turkish navy is taken into account the strongest within the Japanese Mediterranean, and in accordance with the “International Firepower” rating, it’s ranked seventeenth on this planet, in contrast with Israel’s forty fifth place.

Revealed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on April 29, 2025.