The world’s fastest submarine is finally here.
Meet the Super Sub, a sleek submarine created by scientists and engineers that has been dubbed the ‘underwater supercar’.
Priced at $5.75m (£4.3m), the Super Sub is the world’s fastest submersible with a top speed of nine knots (10mph), which is roughly as fast as a dolphin.
It can carry three people to a depth of 300 metres and will soon be ready for action on a billionaire’s yacht after completing sea trials.
The Super Sub can ascend and descend at angles of up to 45 degrees, enabling it to navigate complex underwater terrain with what the company says is greater control and manoeuvrability than traditional submersibles.
With an operational depth of 300 metres and a range of up to ten nautical miles, it is designed to combine speed with extended exploration capability.
Manufacturer U-Boat Worx, which has created luxury subsea crafts for over 20 years, put the vessel through its paces in an intensive testing programme off Curaçao, an island situated north of Venezuela.
Engineers assessed performance, safety systems and handling, and validated propulsion systems, avionics-style controls and onboard safety features before declaring it ready for action.
These included a sonar system that continuously scans the seabed and automatically adjusts the craft’s trajectory, as well as redundant life-support and control systems.
The company says the submersible has been designed to offer a ‘flight-like’ experience underwater, using hydrodynamic lift to create a smooth forward motion during descent.
It is also fully equipped with safety features including 96 hours of life support, a safety buoy and Maximum Depth Protection, an automated system which stops it going too deep.
Images from the trials show the craft moving through open water with a winged profile intended to enhance stability.
Inside, a transparent acrylic pressure hull provides panoramic views, with seating arranged to maximise visibility for pilot and passengers.
U-Boat Worx, founded in 2005, said the Super Sub is intended for integration into luxury yacht programmes or as a standalone exploration platform.
Its speed, the company added, could allow users to survey larger areas within a single dive, while maintaining the precision needed to inspect reefs, underwater cliffs and wreck sites.
The firm say final preparations for a handover to its first owner are now underway – with delivery due within weeks.
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