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Folding-Wings Kronos Armored Submarine Is Perfect for Old School Commando Missions

The world of watercraft is a very dynamic one. At the same time, it’s a very extensive and awe-inspiring one, with people dreaming up over the years all sorts of contraptions meant for a variety of tasks that can only be performed on or under water.
Kronos Armored Submarine 10 photos
Photo: Highland Systems
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We here at autoevolution know that, and this is why August is Sea Month, a four-week-long celebration of all waterborne and water-based machines. We’ve already uncovered a wealth of such vehicles and brought them under the spotlight, but the world of watercraft seems to keep on giving. Today’s treat? The Kronos Armored Submarine, of course.

Chances are you’ve never heard of this thing (we sure didn’t, until we accidentally stumbled upon it). It is one of the products being cooked up in the UAE at the hands of a company called Highland Systems, which describes itself as “an R&D and project management company which specializes in development and implementation of state-of-the-art technology into production.”

The Kronos is not yet in production, as far as we were able to learn, but if (and that's a big if) and when it will be, it’ll probably become a heavy-hitter on the market. That’s because it’s a multi-use machine, created for “commercial, rescue and combat operations,” with design and capabilities rarely seen.

Resembling to some degree a manta ray in its “futuristic hydrodynamic design,” with folding wings for easier transport while on land, the Kronos is supposed to be armored, although what materials are to be used to make it so are not detailed. It’s also a hybrid diesel-electric beast capable of developing 1,200 hp, although what exactly the powertrain includes is, again, not public knowledge.

Kronos Armored Submarine
Photo: Highland Systems
Kronos has a curb weight of 10,000 kg (22,000 pounds) and can carry up to 3,000 kg (6,600 pounds) of cargo. That “cargo” can be in the form of 10 passengers being taken on underwater sightseeing tours, or old-school commando missions, by a single pilot.

Thanks to the undetailed powertrain, the Kronos can reach speeds of 80 kph (50 mph) when cruising above the waves, or just 50 kph (31 mph) while under water. It can dive to a depth of 100 meters (328 feet), and has a critical depth of more than double that, 250 meters (820 feet).

The thing can stay under water for about 36 hours, as it has enough air reserves for that. Passengers can enjoy while inside both air conditioning and adaptive lighting.

At the time of writing the Kronos is listed on Highland’s website alongside a trimaran and a trio of armored vehicles. There is no info on when a production version should be ready, let alone when the Kronos becomes available to interested customers. As such, another important aspect of the sub, the price, is also a mystery.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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