One of the newest and most hopeful innovations from this conflict in Ukraine is coming from a different place altogether-Ukrainian engineers, upon returning to the United Arab Emirates, have created something called the Kronos submarine, poised to change the face of naval warfare.
Based in the UAE, Highland Systems is the company behind the Kronos. A prototype of the stealth vehicle has been developed that features a hydrodynamic design based on the futuristic lines of a manta ray, with gracefulness and efficiency in movement. This design enhances the agility of the submarine and, when submerged, greatly lowers the energy costs.
The Kronos submarine possesses a hybrid engine system, featuring an electric battery and a diesel system; this allows it to cruise on water at up to 50 mph and submerged at 31 mph. A new hull design greatly reduces fuel consumption, increases maximum speed, and provides increased stability for commercial, rescue, and combat operations.
But perhaps the most attention-grabbing feature of the Kronos is the touted capability for making a full 180-degree turn at maximum speed. That would give the submarine unprecedented maneuverability underwater, turning around rapidly to avoid enemy attacks and position itself strategically with a celerity not seen before. Highland Systems claims that Kronos can operate in shallower waters-as shallow as 50 feet, or 15 meters-and reach higher speeds than conventional submarines both underwater and on the surface.
Designed originally for civilian uses, such as underwater repairs and luxury travel, the Kronos was radically redesigned following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The firm equipped it with an electric engine for silent operation, a sonar-absorbing coating to make it even stealthier, and the ability to launch Black Scorpion torpedoes and lay magnetic mines. It can also carry a single pilot and up to eight special operations commandos on clandestine insertion missions.
According to Highland Systems, the Kronos submarine has a “Black Scorpion” torpedo system of Italian manufacture with a 3000-meter range that effectively counters all surface and underwater threats. It has a maximum dive depth of 250 meters, with a provision for maintaining air supply for 36 hours to extend the mission. It also comes with James Bond-esque accessories: an underwater drone and a quadcopter for reconnaissance missions.
Military experts, though optimistic, are very judiciously assessing Kronos’ potential impact. While appreciating the novelty of design and apparent advantages, they say some claim it’s making a 180-degree turn at full speed to be verified. Further, there are questions as to how effective Kronos will be in military situations when coming up against larger vessels carrying more armaments.
One factor that could make Kronos truly game-changing is the aspect of affordability: Highland Systems claims its cost is a fraction of the price tag for a traditional attack submarine. That may be the biggest boon for smaller nations in improving underwater defenses. Consider a scenario in which a country like Ukraine could send a fleet of agile, stealthy Kronos submarines that would pose a grave enough threat to much larger, more costly vessels. This is the level of affordability that makes possible a shifting of the balance of power in contested waters, like the Black Sea.
The real power of Kronos is whether it will be able to achieve these tall orders, but its design and capability have nonetheless ignited debate on the future of naval warfare. Agility, affordability, and quicker deployment do suggest the emerging paradigm of underwater combat might get more dynamic and perhaps asymmetric. This could be the way to a future wherein smaller and agile vessels like Kronos upstage the traditional larger submarines.
As Kronos teems with fabulous potential, several critical issues are hovering sans answers. How is the technology: full-blown or in the prototype stage now? How well will Kronos work against enemy submarines and surface ships in actual combat scenarios? It would, in all probability, be fleshed out as development is carried out periodically on the device and maybe once Kronos gets deployed in the Black Sea.
The war in Ukraine has been a grim reminder of the shortcomings of the traditional military approach. Kronos, with its atypical design and emphasis on agility and affordability, could form the opposite side of such status quo. Whether all that hype will materialize or not, Kronos has stirred the pot, and the world is aware of it, as well as the trends in naval warfare. It could face real-world testing in the Black Sea, a critical theater in the ongoing conflict trial by fire that may define undersea combat for a generation.