Tel Aviv [Israel], May 7 (ANI/TPS): Israel and Greece signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Athens on Wednesday to offer the BlueWhale autonomous submarine system to the Hellenic Navy.

'This strategic collaboration marks a step forward in strengthening Greece's undersea defense capabilities. The potential integration and co-production of BlueWhale deepens the bilateral ties and represents a leap toward technological autonomy for our country,' said Rear Admiral (ret.) Alexandros Diakopoulos, Chairman of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, which will take on a pivotal role in BlueWhale's production and design.

Diakopoulos added that BlueWhale's deployment will offer Hellenic Armed Forces a vessel that 'combines anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.'

Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), BlueWhale, is a large uncrewed underwater vehicle measuring 10.9 meters long, 1.12 meters in diameter and weighing 5.5 tons. It can perform a wide range of covert maritime missions, including intelligence-gathering above the sea surface, submarines and underwater target detection, acoustic intelligence collection and search for and detect naval mines on the seabed.

The autonomous submarine also performs a significant portion of a crewed submarine's operations for several weeks at minimal cost and maintenance, and without risking operators.

Speaking in Athens, IAI President and CEO, Boaz Levy, expressed pride in strengthening IAI's partnership with the Hellenic Aerospace Industry 'through this strategic agreement, further enhancing the defense capabilities of Greece.'

'BlueWhale represents a transformational leap in maritime defense', according to IAI's Executive Vice President Dror Bar. 'It delivers the advanced capabilities of a crewed submarine. Today's MoU marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to advancing Greece's maritime security,' he added.

Germany's Bundeswehr Navy is also integrating BlueWhale into its Baltic Sea operations. (ANI/TPS)