Undersea Aircraft Flight Equipment Is Being Developed For Marine Flexibility

Apr, 2021 - By WMR

Since the first of Royal Navy's Dreadnought-class nuclear missile submarines is launched later this decade, it would be guided by another fly-by-wire technology as it can be used in flights.

A Typhoon fighter jet and a 17,200-tonne nuclear-powered submarine heavy with Trident missiles don't seem to have much in common at first sight. However, the two are built for entirely different reasons and work in completely different conditions, making them polar opposites. Moreover, moving submarines are always the stuff of poor science fiction. Submarines and aircraft, and from the other side, share one significant feature. Most submarine hull architecture is based on the aerodynamics of airships, and the control systems of a submarine are very similar to those of an airliner. However, it is not really shocking which BAE Systems engineers considered adapting avionics to the Dreadnought-class vessels. While the fully operational AVCM system can use computers to monitor the vessel's pitch, course, buoyancy, depth and other parameters and ensure that it stays within a stable output envelope.

"With over 50 years of avionics experiences, we have already a good grip on how to design sophisticated monitoring systems for high-tech platforms," states Jon Tucker, Director of Maritime Controls at BAE Systems Controls and Avionics. "Taking our technologies underwater, on the other hand, presents fascinating new challenges, and we are proud to promote the Dreadnought initiative and contribute to our national security effort."

The four Dreadnought-class submarines, which are based on the astute attack submarine, will replace Britain's ageing Vanguard-class Trident submarines when they enter service after 2030. Every submarine would be operated by a Rolls-Royce PWR3 nuclear reactor that could never require refueling throughout its operational life in the 2050s. In the US/UK Common Missile Compartment, individuals can carry up to 12 US-made Trident D5 missiles, every armed with several British-designed and installed nuclear warheads on MIRVs (Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicles).