BlueWhale (UUV)
The BlueWhale, designated ELI-3325, is an unmanned underwater vehicle manufactured by the Israeli defense firm ELTA Systems. It is used to gather information using radar, SIGINT and communications technologies. It made its public debut at the International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia 2025 defence expo in Singapore on 6-8 May 2025.
Mission
It is used for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, including covert operations in coastal areas, anti-submarine warfare - hunting submarines in its own territory, acoustic reconnaissance, covert mine detection and other mine countermeasures, support to special forces including reconnaissance and mine detectors, reconnaissance and patrol for conventional submarines, intelligence on piracy, terrorism, and illegal migration, and is intended to support maritime expeditions.Technical data
The boat is 10.9 meters long and weighs 5.5 tons. It sails silently and stays at sea for up to four weeks. It travels at 7 knots underwater, dives 300 meters deep and carries a watertight patented mast for surface payload. The mast can carry antennas, including SATCOM, for real-time data link with mission control.Possible payloads:
- Radar
- day/night EO/IR
- COMINT/ELINT/ESM
- TAS developed by Atlas Elektronik
- Active and passive Flank Array Sonar for detection of ships and submarines
- Synthetic Aperture Sonar for mine detection and high resolution seabed mapping, developed by KRAKEN
- Magnetic sensors for verification of mine detection