Russia has just revealed the Yunost-82 unmanned submarine project with an unusual operating method: No nuclear engine needed, not running at full capacity, but "drifting" along the ocean currents to go around the Earth - even many circles in one mission.
According to TASS news agency, Mr. Dmitry Kuzyakin - chief engineer of the Integrated Unmanned Solution Center (TsKBR) - said Yunost-82 has a global operating range thanks to taking advantage of the map of ocean currents.
Instead of constantly using engines to move, the ship "goes by sea", similar to how sea turtles swim across the ocean in nature.
The principle is very simple: Yunost-82 calculates the route to consume the least energy. It has engines, but is not used for long-distance running, but mainly for navigation at the boundary of currents, switching from one current to another, or keeping the ship in the desired current" - Mr. Kuzyakin explained.
According to the designer, the travel speed of the Yunost-82 is equivalent to the speed of the currents themselves. This helps the vehicle have very low energy consumption, while significantly reducing the possibility of being detected.
The ship is always in a semi-submersible state, with a small wind-caught area, making it difficult for radar and conventional reconnaissance vehicles to detect.
The fact that the engine is not continuously operated also helps the Yunost-82 to be quieter than traditional submarines. To serve research and surveillance purposes, the ship is equipped with special transponders to ensure positioning when necessary.
Despite refusing to disclose detailed technical specifications, Mr. Kuzyakin said Yunost-82 has enough displacement to carry research equipment and take them to "any point on the planet".
The main objective of this line of vehicles is to serve marine and coastal meteorological research, including assessing air quality, environmental conditions and radiation levels.
Another notable point is the cost. According to the Integrated Unmanned Solution Center, the Yunost-82 is designed at a low cost, allowing mass production. When deployed in large numbers, the ships can be widely present on the oceans, creating a global-scale environmental monitoring network.
Whenever needed, these unmanned submarines can be gathered to perform important environmental tasks" - Mr. Kuzyakin said, emphasizing the system's flexibility.
Although introduced for research purposes, Yunost-82 also reflects a broader trend in the Russian defense industry: Converting open source digital solutions to military applications. Mr. Kuzyakin admitted that his center operates in many fields, from land to sea.
Notably, he compared the Yunost-82 to the FPV attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are widely used today.
Technically, the FPV and Yunost-82 UAVs have more in common than the Yunost-82 and a traditional naval torpedo" - he said, implying differences in technological philosophy, flexibility and usage scenarios.
