The Ultimate Cool Watercraft – The Kronos Armored Submarine

It’s a tired trope, but the Kronos armored submarine from Highland Systems looks like something out of a James Bond movie. Fast, powerful, capable, and mean, the Kronos submarine is the sort of machine to set a guy apart from his peers. If you can afford to buy yourself a ride into space, you might be able to add one of these to your stable. Possibly you own the company that flies people into space, then you could buy one outright. If you’re just a normal guy like me, then whip up some popcorn and take a seat. We’re about to do some dreaming.

Looking for the Ultimate Watercraft? – The Kronos Armored Submarine

The Kronos armored submarine sports a curb weight of 22,000 pounds and a payload of more than three tons. It will carry you and 10 of your closest friends to a working depth of 100 meters and keep you there in style, safety, and comfort for a day and a half. It is also breathtakingly fast. If Bruce Wayne needed a commercial off-the-shelf bat sub, this is the place he’d look.

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What’s The Point?

The adult human brain weighs around three pounds and is mostly fat. It is the most complicated contrivance in the known universe. When slaved to human fingers this remarkable computer has explored every crevice of our own blue orb, crafted remarkable examples of art and literature, devised machines to do the most extraordinary tasks and deployed robots on Mars.

This same gooey CPU has built weapons capable of destroying all life on planet earth several times over, engaged in graft, corruption and greed on a simply breathtaking scale, melted a substantial portion of the polar icecaps and created a floating garbage island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas (No kidding. It has its own Wikipedia page. Google it.) How do you think the rest of Earth’s creatures might feel about that?

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Smart Dolphins

The brain of the Bottlenose Dolphin is actually larger than that of humans (1,600 versus 1,300 grams). Its brain-to-body weight ratio exceeds that of the great apes. Dolphins are the second most encephalized creatures on planet Earth. For all their speed, agility, and intellectual prowess, dolphins are also surprisingly easy to get along with. They don’t build massive death machines or pollute their world to the point that it becomes uninhabitable. Aside from a little poop, they’re actually quite tidy. 

So long as we don’t drown them in our fishing nets, the interactions between dolphins and humans are monotonously cordial. They thrive in captivity and will perform regularly and enthusiastically in exchange for the occasional fish. However, what if all that is just a ruse?

What if the dolphins, instead of being innately docile, are actually just biding their time? What if climate change is all part of their nefarious scheme? To hear the scientists talk, global warming and rising sea levels will soon inundate everything up to the American Midwest. What if, once they can reach SAC Headquarters at Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base, the dolphins intend to launch a coordinated aquatic assault, subjugate all humans, and make us their slaves? 

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Kronos Armored Submarine

Suppose the Dolphin Uprising turns out to be a real thing. In that case, the Kronos armored submarine might be the only hedge standing between you and a lifetime spent in scuba servitude ferrying sardines by the bucketful to your new dolphin masters. When that day comes, you will certainly regret turning up your nose at this article as “ludicrous” or “farcical.” Now that I have your attention, do please proceed.

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Technical Details

The Kronos armored submarine is 29.5 feet long and 24.2 feet wide. It is 6.6 feet thick at its greatest point. Like the famed German U-boats of World War II, the Kronos armored submarine is powered by a hybrid diesel/electric propulsion system. Unlike those relatively primitive vessels, the Kronos is really, really fast.

How fast, you might ask? How about 48 miles per hour on the surface and 30 miles per hour submerged? That sort of performance really was previously reserved for hypothetical spy gear in Hollywood movies.

Dives to 100 Meters

Working depth is 100 meters, while critical depth is 250 meters. It takes 90 minutes to charge the onboard batteries fully. These batteries power a 1,200-horsepower electric waterjet drive system. Endurance is 26 hours on battery power alone and 54 hours on both battery and diesel. An onboard air compressor helps recharge the life support system.

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The interior looks like something out of Star Trek. Adaptive lighting adjusts to ambient conditions, and the cabin is air-conditioned. The critical life support functions are all automated. The vessel can stay safely submerged for 36 hours. 

Dream On

So, what can you really do with it? Well, I don’t know. How imaginative are you? Research is an obvious application. Visual inspection of underwater objects and equipment is on the menu as well. The Kronos could be used for exploration of the seabed or monitoring of underwater cables and pipes. Underwater rescue, exploration, and advanced eco-tourism would also be in its wheelhouse. But that’s just the beginning.

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Optional equipment includes samplers, manipulators, and sundry external underwater cameras, as well as mission-specific analyzers and scanners. The submarine can be fitted with external connectors for both air and power. Underwater tow gear and a pressure lock for launching divers are also available. The Kronos can be modified for arctic operations around sea ice, too.

Civilian Use and More

In addition to its obvious civilian utility, the Kronos armored submarine also has military applications. The vessel’s speed and endurance make it a viable vehicle for covert combat insertions. Additionally, the sharp-eyed observer will note that the Kronos can be equipped with six tubes to accommodate Black Scorpion torpedoes. These weapons weigh 11 kilograms each and sport a range of 3,000 meters. Wow.

The Kronos armored submarine is a large vehicle that seems cumbersome on land. However, both wings fold vertically for transport. In this configuration, the Kronos can be moved safely and easily via standard rail or truck lines. As such, the submarine can be readily trailered from one area of operation to another without a lot of expensive teardown. It can even be pulled behind a large pickup truck and launched via a substantial boat ramp.

Ruminations

Just study this thing and tell me it doesn’t look like something 007 might use to infiltrate Spectre’s evil lair. I think this is the coolest watercraft I have ever seen. The graceful lines and slightly sinister ambience rival anything seen in the movies. Hollywood make-believe imagery notwithstanding, the Kronos is quite real. My buddies at Highland Systems tell me sea trials will begin soon in Italy.

Armored Submarine

The Kronos armored submarine is a joint venture between the UK and the UAE. I have no idea what such a beast would cost. They don’t advertise a price. You know the old adage—if you have to ask, you likely cannot afford it. However, it’s all fun and games until Flipper knocks on your window, demanding a tummy rub. When the day of the Dolphin Uprising finally arrives, and you know it will, only those with a Kronos armored submarine of their own will prevail.

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KRONOS ARMORED SUBMARINE