The Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), to collaborate on the production of the autonomous unmanned underwater system known as Blue Whale.
This agreement was formalized during DEFEA 2025, with HAI’s President and CEO, Alexandros Diakopoulos, signing alongside IAI’s President and CEO, Boaz Levy. Diakopoulos highlighted that “the Hellenic Aerospace Industry will take charge of the construction aspects of Blue Whale, including project management and the manufacturing of electronic components for Greece, and potentially for export if needed.”
On the significance of this acquisition, Diakopoulos stated, “The Blue Whale addresses critical challenges and needs directly. It is autonomous yet can be deployed from a Navy logistics vessel. It can operate underwater for up to a week, remains completely silent, and provides comprehensive situational awareness. It surfaces only when necessary and transmits data back to the control center.” The Blue Whale has undergone extensive development and testing in Israel and has also been trialed in various other countries.
The Blue Whale, developed by IAI, is an impressive unmanned underwater vehicle measuring 10.9 meters in length, 1.12 meters in diameter, and weighing 5.5 tons. It is capable of executing diverse maritime surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions, including surface data collection, submarine detection, acoustic reconnaissance, and seabed mine detection. This autonomous submarine can fulfill many of the roles traditionally required of manned submarines for extended periods, with reduced costs and maintenance needs, while ensuring the safety of personnel. Blue Whale has already accumulated thousands of successful dive hours, demonstrating its effectiveness across various operations such as Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Warfare, Electronic Surveillance Measures (EW/ESM), and Mine Countermeasures (MCM).
