【原创翻译】中国成功测试水下自航器 有望对付南海蛙人

　　http://thediplomat.com/2014/07/china-tests-new-unmanned-mini-sub/

　　来自外交官网的文章

　　中国成功测试水下自航器 有望对付南海蛙人

　　“海燕”号无人潜水器可大大提升中国的反潜作战能力。

　　扎卡里·凯克

　　2014年7月1日

　　中国国家媒体报道称，中国大学的研究人员已经完成了对一款新型智能无人驾驶迷你潜艇的测试。

　　报告称,天津大学的研究人员已完成了对“海燕”号智能水下无人驾驶器(UUV)的海上测试。

　　在测试期间,该机器连续工作了21天, 最大潜水深度为1094米。

　　该款机器可续航30天, 采用了鱼雷状外形设计-这使得设备的最大水下速度可接近每小时6公里, 报告如是说。

　　“海燕”号无人驾驶器目前的开发方向是：为海洋生物学的科学探索、海床研究和搜救任务研制一款民用船舶。

　　事实上,众所周知的是：美国早已部署了“蓝鳍金枪鱼”Bluefin-21水下自航器-帮助寻找失踪的马航MH370。Bluefin-21能够在南部印度洋海域的9大任务区执行深海扫描与搜索任务。

　　“海燕”不是中国的第一款水下自航器。事实上, 北京已经研制出了体积更大、速度更快的水下无人驾驶航行器。

　　但是“海燕”也有它的优势,它是一款水下滑翔机,可通过节约能源提高耐力。

　　“海燕”还配备了更为先进的计算系统，并且可以传递实时信息,甚至可以在海底自主调整方向。

　　虽然此次开发的航行器剑指民用领域, 但中国的研究型大学和国家的其他军事机构是保持着密切联系的，“海燕”可能为中国人民解放军海军所用—甚至会被改装成武器。

　　事实上,中国官方媒体的报道还指出,“UUV还可以升级为中国海军的水下作战和巡逻机器人,它们可用来执行一些漫长而危险的任务-比如扫雷和潜艇探测, 以此为中国船只和石油平台提供保护。”

　　对于中国人民解放军海军部队来说，“海燕”潜在的反潜战(ASW)应用程序蕴藏着极大的潜力, 因为这是北京一直在付出努力的领域。

　　中国反潜战的弱点正在被其对手(日本、越南和美国)的海军利用。攻击潜艇将是关键,例如,美国可能会(用这种手段)试图消灭中国的反介入/区域封锁力量。

　　作为一款水下滑翔机,“海燕”将为中国海军探测敌方潜艇的努力带来福音，通过综合利用反潜飞机与海军部队，中国海军可将这些潜艇消灭。

　　杰弗里•林和辛格在“东方军火库”博客中所写的那样:

　　“传统意义上,对反潜飞机的区域侦查是通过在一个地区空投有超声波功能的、小型的、装备有声纳的浮标进行的。”

　　与超声浮标(寿命通常以几小时计)相比，水下滑翔机具备了更强的耐力。

　　较大体积的水下滑翔机(“海燕”的体积是美国海军16公斤级AN/SSQ-62E声纳浮标的四倍)也意味着：它们可以携带多个型号的传感器，以此来监测水温、电导率、光学后向散射和声学现象的变化。

　　在探测隐形潜艇的战斗中, 多个型号传感器的使用可增加找到猎物的概率。以此类推,可以自航的UUVs则可以覆盖更广泛的区域。

　　与水下固定声纳站不同的是, 水下滑翔机可以通过船只运输或被空投到新发现的地区(如台湾海峡或南海) 并迅速实现部署, 水下滑翔机的机动性能-可使敌人破坏和摧毁设备的过程更加复杂。

　　“海燕”可以为中国提供更直接的近期效益。中国媒体称,越南正在使用战斗潜水员(蛙人),试图破坏海洋石油公司在南海的981号石油钻井平台。

　　根据旺旺中时媒体的报道,一些中国媒体猜测：“海燕”将被部署，用来阻止这些蛙人和其他特种部队-敌人用来破坏中国在争议海域的活动。

　　但似乎不太可能的是：在当前中国与越南的石油钻井平台争端中，“海燕”不会马上参与行动;但是在可预见的未来，(可以确信的是)它可以在南海开展行动。

　　原文：

　　China Tests New Unmanned Mini Sub

　　The Haiyan autonomous UUV could greatly enhance China’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

　　By Zachary Keck

　　July 01, 2014

　　University researchers in China have completed testing on a new, autonomous unmanned mini-submarine, Chinese state media reported.

　　The reports said that researchers at Tianjin University completed a sea test of the Haiyan, an autonomous underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV).

　　“During the test, the vehicle worked consecutively for 21 days and reached a depth of 1094 meters.

　　With an endurance of 30 days, the torpedo-shaped vehicle propelled at a maximum underwater speed of close to 6 kilometers per hour,” the reports said.

　　The Haiyan is currently being developed as a civilian vessel for the purposes of scientific exploration of marine biology, seabeds and to aid search and rescue missions.

　　Indeed, the U.S. famously deployed the Bluefin-21 UUV to aid in the search for Malaysian Flight MH370. The Bluefin-21 was able to scan most of the immense search area in the southern Indian Ocean in nine missions.

　　The Haiyan is not China’s first UUV. In fact, Beijing already maintains larger and faster UUVs.

　　Where the Haiyan does have an edge is that it is an underwater glider which conserves energy and thus heightens endurance.

　　It also has more advanced computing and can transport information in real time and even make decisions about which course to follow in the sea.

　　Although being developed for civilian uses, research universities in China and elsewhere maintain close links to the national military and the Haiyan is likely to be used by the People’s Liberation Army Navy — perhaps even in a modified armed version.

　　In fact, the reports in China’s state media noted that “the UUV can also be upgraded by the Chinese navy to serve as a[n] underwater combat and patrol robot, taking on lengthy and dangerous missions like minesweeping and submarine detection, and offer[ing] protection for Chinese ships and oil platforms.”

　　The Haiyan’s potential anti-submarine warfare (ASW) applications are likely to be especially useful for the PLAN as this is an area where Beijing has traditionally struggled.

　　China’s perceived ASW weakness is being exploited by rival navies in Japan, Vietnam and the United States. Attack submarines would be key, for instance, in any American attempt to eliminate China’s anti-access/area denial capabilities.

　　As an underwater glider, the Haiyan will be a boon to the PLAN’s efforts to detect enemy submarines which can be eliminated using ASW aircraft and naval capabilities.

　　As Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer explain on their terrific Eastern Arsenals blog:

　　“Traditionally, area detection for ASW aircraft was done with sonobouys, small, sonar equipped buoys airdropped over an area of water.

　　Underwater gliders have better endurance than sonobuoys, whose lifespan are often measured in just hours.

　　The larger size of underwater gliders (the Haiyan is four times as large as the USN’s 16kg AN/SSQ-62E sonobuoy) also means that they can carry multiple sensor types to monitor changes in water temperature, conductivity, optical backscatter and acoustics.

　　In the battle for detection of a stealthy submarine, using multiple sensor types increases the probability of finding the prey. Being self-propelled, UUVs can, in turn, cover a wider area.

　　And unlike fixed underwater sonar stations, underwater gliders can be rapidly deployed via ships or airdrops to new uncovered areas (such as the Taiwan Straits or South China Sea), where their mobility complicates enemy efforts to disrupt and destroy them.”

　　The Haiyan could provide more immediate utility for China. Chinese media outlets have alleged that Vietnam is using combat divers (frogmen) to try and disrupt operations surrounding the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig in the South China Sea.

　　According to Want China Times, some Chinese media outlets have speculated that the Haiyan will be deployed to try and detect these combat drivers and other special forces being used by adversaries to disrupt Chinese activities in disputed waters.

　　It seems highly unlikely that the Haiyan will see action during the current dispute with Vietnam over the oil rig, but it certainly could see action in the future in the South China Sea.