A GIANT 36ft stealth submarine drone dubbed the "Blue Whale" has been deployed in the Baltic Sea to prevent any looming sabotage attacks. Suspicions have been raised over potential deep sea disruption from Vladimir Putin's Russia and Xi Jinping's China after a string of key underwater cables have been sliced in recent months.
![[A large blue submarine drone on a transport vehicle.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/buoys-blue-huge-40ft-blue-963961568.jpg?strip=all&w=699)
The huge drone is set to patrol across European waters on behalf of Nato after being released by the Germany navy. The autonomous Blue Whale's goal is to carry out deep sea surveillance in the Baltic Sea. Its capabilities also include the ability to detect and pursue suspicious vessels as well as mines linked to foreign interference.
![[Underwater photo of a 40ft Blue Whale stealth submarine drone.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/buoys-blue-huge-40ft-blue-963961564.jpg?strip=all&w=952)
German navy commander Jan Christian Kaack says it will confront “high-performance weapons from potential foes, including some which are extremely difficult to defend against”. The drone, designed by the Israeli defence firm Elta, weighs a whopping five and a half tonnes and can move at 8mph in the water to stalk its target.
![[Underwater autonomous vehicle.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/4e63cc58-88f6-4978-ad33-8612460c065a.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
It is even capable of reaching depths as low as 984ft. Elta say it can be used to “enhance naval operations with unprecedented levels of stealth and data fidelity”. The data will be recorded and sent back to Navy officials on land through a complex “Synthetic Aperture Sonar” and a "Flank Array Sonar”.
![[Illustration of the Blue Whale stealth submarine drone with specifications.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/dk-15-01-nato-submarine_GRAPHIC_c7329d.jpg?strip=all&w=778)
These will capture high-resolution images of the seafloor and any other suspicious objects or vessels. It is believed to be able to stay submerged for up to 30 days, report The Telegraph. The German military first carried out test launches of the Blue Whale back in December, according to the Maritime Executive magazine.
![[A 40ft submarine drone patrolling the Baltic Sea.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/buoys-blue-huge-40ft-blue-963961561.jpg?strip=all&w=810)
