Forbes drew attention to the fact that Ukraine presented a new giant robotic submarine TOLOKA-1000 (TLK-100) at an exhibition in Lviv. It could become one of Kyiv's main trump cards in the war against Ukraine and finally destroy the Kerch Bridge in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Points of attention
- The TLK-1000 submarine is part of a line of Ukrainian underwater vehicles that range from 'smart torpedoes' to large autonomous drones, showcasing Ukraine's advancements in combat technology.
- The use of combat drones and now submarines like TOLOKA-1000 demonstrate Ukraine's determination to enhance its defense capabilities and stand against Russian aggression.
What is known about TOLOKA-1000?
The full-scale war launched by Russia has pushed Ukraine to make breakthroughs in the use of combat drones, which make it possible to effectively deter and destroy the Russian army.
Ukrainian developers did not stop there and created the TLK-1000 submarine, which supplemented the TLK-150 and TLK-400 line - from compact "smart torpedoes" to large autonomous vehicles.
It is currently known for certain that:
TLK-150 — "smart torpedo" with an electric drive and a warhead of up to ~15–50 kg, a range of up to 60 miles;
TLK-400 is an underwater drone about 40 feet long, with an autonomy of up to 2 months, a range of about 800 miles, and a payload capacity of up to 1,000 pounds;
TLK-1000 is the flagship of the line with a payload of up to 5 tons, capable of operating at significant depths and distances.
The developers have confirmed the use of artificial intelligence for navigation and autonomous decision-making, but details of the tests and limitations of these systems are not being disclosed at this time.
The emergence of "Toloka" takes underwater warfare to a new level: from auxiliary reconnaissance and mine countermeasures to potentially offensive operations against key infrastructure (of Russia - ed.)
