Previously Unreported Italian Special Forces AE-90 Submarine Seen For First Time
You know a country’s special forces capabilities are good when they lift the veil of secrecy on one of their retired submersibles and it looks more modern than most navies’ future types. Italy’s COMSUBIN (GOI, aka Incusori) combat swimmers paraded a previously unreported mini-submarine at the Republic day parade in Rome on June 2nd.
It is sometimes said, and I have often written, that Italy’s COMSUBIN are about 10 years ahead of everyone else in underwater vehicles. When you look at submarines like this, it’s possible to wonder whether it’s actually more. The craft is understood to be a legacy AE-90 design from specialist submarine builder CABI Cattaneo. It likely dates from the 1990s and has been retired some time. It may hint at more recent types as Italian submersibles are developed in families.
Naturally information on the submarine is sparse. Yet we can infer some things from external hints. The vehicle is a dry submarine although the hatch on port side appears to open directly into the main interior section, suggesting a wet-or-dry operating mode. The hatch on top opens aft, suggesting that it’s not intended to be used for surface navigation. It is unclear whether there is another diver hatch in the bottom of the submarine.
The vehicle has twin screw mounted low on the stern with rudders and hydroplanes behind them. Large retractable hydroplanes are also located high on the bow. While the bow is streamlined, the stern is less so, being more compact in nature. Above it a dorsal spine appears to house a folding mast.
There is an unusual opening at the stern. This appears to be a cylindrical storage tube but with an open end, so it would be wet storage. The end of tube is covered by a grate door which is suitable to be opened by divers from the outside. Whatever is in this section appears to have dictated the shaping of the stern, imposing a significant compromise on hydrodynamics. Possibly this hangar is for carriage of specialist equipment and may hint at the role of the craft.
It does not necessarily follow that this vehicle is designed for the same types of special forces missions as swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs) in other countries. Italian special forces, while influenced by certain foreign units, tread their own path in this regard. The submarine may be intended for a specialist mission we can only guess at.
The exact specifications are not available. However the submarine appears too large and heavy for carriage aboard the Italian Navy’s submarines. The cradles sometimes seen on those must therefore be for a different family of vehicles.
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