Mines, hunting and using

[buglerbilly]

Navy's new mine hunter enters service

An Equipment and Logistics news article

23 Feb 10

To tackle the abundant and significant threat of sea mines, the Royal Navy's new unmanned, underwater 'robots' have entered service following successful trials at the end of last year.


The Reconnaissance Unmanned Underwater Vehicle being lowered into the sea
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2008]

Modern mines are capable of being triggered by just the sound of a ship passing above so equipment for detecting them needs to be state-of-the-art.

The Mine Countermeasures Reconnaissance Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (known as 'Recce') can hunt sea mines remotely down to 200 metres and is now fully integrated into service, having been handed over to the Royal Navy's Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Unit.

The new, fully autonomous Recce system can scan the sea bed for mines for over 20 hours at a time, using an advanced system of sensors to pin-point their exact location.

This data is fed back to the onboard operators for analysis, considerably reducing the risk to naval divers who traditionally carried out these operations.

High resolution imagery also gives operators a sharper, clearer picture of the sea bed, enhancing their ability to identify the mines.

The system is a step-change for the mine hunting capability of the Navy's Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Vessels, but its adaptability allows it to be deployed from any ship or even a jetty with a suitable davit.


The Reconnaissance Unmanned Underwater Vehicle is used to locate mines on the sea bed
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2008]

Defence Equipment and Support's Underwater Systems Programme Manager, Phil Jenkin, said:

"The system builds on the success of the REMUS technology of smaller, shallow water vehicles, which the Navy has used over the last few years.

"The new vehicle is not intended to replace the existing systems but extend the Navy's remote mine hunting capability, boasting improved sonar technology, allowing it to cover larger areas of water and to dive deeper."

As well as hunting mines, the system is capable of conducting remote assessment of the marine environment such as mapping the ocean floor and measuring ocean currents.

While finely tuned to the Royal Navy's requirements, Recce was a low risk procurement, as Lieutenant Commander Paul Guiver, of the Underwater Warfare Systems Capability Development Group, explained:

"It is a fine example of using low technological risk, commercial off-the-shelf equipment and will provide the operational experience to the user that will help to de-risk future MCM capability programmes.


A sonar image of sunken barges taken by the Reconnaissance Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2008]

"REMUS technology is already used by a dozen navies worldwide, however the Royal Navy was the first to formally accept unmanned, underwater vehicle systems into service.

"The delivery of Recce and initial operating capability could not have been achieved without the considerable efforts of Hydroid Inc working closely with the Underwater Systems team. This marks a very important milestone in the development of our MCM and remote environmental assessment capability."

The Royal Navy has welcomed the new capability; Lieutenant Commander Kev Giles, the Navy's Fleet Mine Warfare Capability Manager, said:

"It is a leap forward from the smaller vehicles it already operates which have a shorter range, fewer sensors, and dive to a maximum 100-metre depth. This is why the Royal Navy is very enthusiastic about this. It gives us a look into the future."

Two systems, each consisting of two 3.9-metre long, torpedo-shaped vehicles, were bought by Defence Equipment and Support in a £5m contract placed with Hydroid Inc in 2007.

[buglerbilly]

HUGIN 1000 Portable AUV System Demonstrated in Korea

(Source: Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace; issued Feb. 22, 2010)



The HUGIN 1000 Portable AUV System has been demonstrated in Korean waters. The operation was carried out by Kongsberg's AUV Department in close cooperation with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The sea trials took place southwest of the city of Busan and covered both search for mines in shallow waters and REA in deeper waters. The HUGIN AUV executed all test dives autonomously without problems in up to sea state 4.

"It took one week, from the beginning of the transportation in Horten to the HUGIN 1000 first touched Korean waters, which is quite fantastic", explains &M HUGIN AUVs, Svein Otto Schjerven. "The first operation of this kind with the HUGIN 1000 system was a great success, and fully demonstrated the capacity of such an AUV system."

HUGIN 1000 Portable AUV System

The portable AUV system is fully containerized into one 20-foot ISO container for storage, battery management, vehicle maintenance, launch and recovery (L&R), and one 10-foot ISO container for mission planning, vehicle checkout, mission execution, and post-mission analysis (PMA). This advanced AUV system covers a wide range of operations like MCM, REA, route survey and high-quality bathymetric mapping surveys in areas of interest.

The main advantage of the HUGIN AUV is its small overall system footprint. This is primarily due to the multi-function 20-foot container, providing AUV storage, shipping, maintenance, battery charging, launch and recovery facilities, and furthermore due to the compactness of the 10-foot operations container, with only two operators needed for the entire operation.

The system allows fast and easy mobilization onto vessels of opportunity due to ISO containerization, well-defined and simple interface points, and the self-sufficient nature of the system. The entire system fits on a standard truck, and can use all standard shipping methods, including overnight airlift to anywhere in the world.

AUV operations are run directly from the 10-foot ISO container, with no need to tie into a ship's systems or internal spaces. In the portable system, a Kongsberg High-Precision Acoustic Positioning (HiPAP) 350 system and a tow-fish transducer for acoustic communication are included, as well as a Kongsberg SeaPath system for accurate ship reference position and attitude.

The 20-foot container includes a two-stage L&R "stinger" (hydraulically controlled hinged ramp) which allows AUV operations from vessels with a stern freeboard of up to 5 meters. Both ISO containers are insulated and equipped with heating systems to enable operations in Arctic environments, as well as air condition system for operations in tropical climate.

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Kongsberg's Hugin 3000 AUV in launch and recovery system.

[buglerbilly]

Northrop Grumman Mine Detection System Flying Towards Operational Evaluation

(Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.; issued June 30, 2010)


The AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) seen here prior to its first flight, on a Navair MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter. (US Navy photo)

MELBOURNE, Fla. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation and the U.S. Navy have begun the next phase of the flight test program leading to the "final exam" Operational Evaluation and potential approval next year for full-rate production of the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). The Navy is conducting the Developmental Flight Test-IIE (DT-IIE) program from its Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division site in Florida. The first flight occurred on June 8.
ALMDS is an airborne mine countermeasures system, one of several systems in development by Northrop Grumman to address the threat posed by mines to U.S. and allied ships. ALMDS uses its pulsed laser light and streak tube receivers to image in 3-D, day or night, the near-surface of the ocean.

The system is housed in a pod that is mounted on the port side of an MH-60S helicopter and measures just under nine feet long with a 21-inch diameter. ALMDS will be a key component of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Countermeasures Mission Package. Northrop Grumman also is the LCS Mission Package Integrator for the Navy.

"Mines are worldwide, inexpensive, and readily available to terrorists and rogue nations for use against military and commercial ships," said Dan Chang, vice president of Northrop Grumman Maritime and Tactical Systems. "Being able to find them rapidly, without slowing the pace of our fleet, is the purpose of ALMDS. It's about getting the sailor out of the minefield wherever possible."

The Navy will fly ALMDS approximately 40 times during the DT-IIE evaluation. A technical evaluation will follow and will lead to the full-scale Operational Evaluation late next year.

"We've had four flights to date and, though I can't go into details, the feedback we've gotten is that the system is performing well and reliably," said Chang. "The flight test data have allowed us to make a few minor software adjustments that have sharpened the capabilities of the system."

Northrop Grumman has delivered five ALMDS pods to the Navy, all on or ahead of schedule, under LRIP phase-1 and -2 contracts. An LRIP phase-3 contract is expected later this year.

In addition to ALMDS, Northrop Grumman is developing the Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS) for the U.S. Navy, which will use ALMDS data to relocate and then destroy the mines from a safe distance. The company is testing its Airborne Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Minefield Detection System (ASTAMIDS) for the U.S. Army, and its Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) for the Marine Corps.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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[buglerbilly]

US Navy Orders More Minesweeping Equipment

(Source: Thales Australia; issued July 1, 2010)

Thales Australia has been awarded a follow on contract by the US Department of Defense to supply minesweeping equipment for the US Navy’s Avenger-class Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs).

The contract for four ship sets with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) includes an option for a further three ship sets, and follows several highly successful contracts for Thales minesweeping systems for the US Navy. Over the past four years Thales Australia has delivered Advanced Acoustic Generators (AAGs), Infrasonic Advanced Acoustic Generators (IAAGs), Sweep Tracker Monitor Systems (STMS), spares and accessories for seven of the 14 Avenger class MCMVs.

“The US Navy is committed to having the most advanced minesweeping technology,” said Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO. “As new mine-related threats emerge, it is vitally important to deploy cutting-edge systems that deliver innovative and flexible capabilities to naval forces on operations. We are extremely proud to be a part of the US Navy’s capability in this area, and look forward to developing what is a highly productive relationship.”

The AAG is at the cutting edge of mine countermeasures technology. A water driven, turbine powered acoustic generator that emulates ship noise, it can be integrated with any sweep system. Originally developed by Thales Australia in conjunction with an SME, Adelaidebased Resonance Technology, and with assistance from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, it meets a global need for sophisticated minesweeping products.

The IAAG is the low frequency variant of the AAG and has also been developed by Thales Australia and Resonance Technology. The IAAG fulfils a requirement for an acoustic generator able to produce underwater sound at the high sound pressure levels and low frequencies similar to those produced by large ships.

The STMS is designed for deployment with the AAG and IAAG to provide positional tracking data and to facilitate control of both manned and unmanned operations. “The AAG gives the US Navy a low maintenance high reliability acoustic generator,” said Andrew Tatem, NSWC PCD project engineer responsible for the installation and commissioning of the acoustic sweep on the Avenger class MCMVs.

Thales in Australia manufactures and exports minesweeping products to navies throughout the world, and has established a significant design, manufacturing and production capability for these products.

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2009, the company generated revenues of 12.9 billion euros (equivalent of AUD 22.7 billion) with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners.

Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management to security systems and services. Employing around 3,500 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues of more than AUD1 billion in 2009.

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[buglerbilly]

The U.S. Navy Needs to Rediscover Offensive Mine Warfare

(Source: Lexington Institute; issued August 27, 2010)

(© Lexington Institute; reproduced by permission)

At one time, the United States Navy had an offensive sea mine warfare capability and it was pretty good. During World War Two, U.S. offensive mine warfare made a major contribution to the defeat of Japan. Delivered by aircraft, surface ships and submarines, U.S. mines blocked Japanese harbors, blocked off key passageways and caused the sinking of some 150 naval vessels and nearly 2 million tons of merchant shipping. U.S. mines also provided security for critical ports and anchorages. In 1972, President Nixon employed offensive mine warfare to close the North Vietnamese port of Hai Phong as part of his effort to force that country to the negotiating table. A little know fact is that the U.S. Navy conducted offensive mine warfare against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

A review of the popular literature on mine warfare and even the current U.S. Navy publications on the subject would leave one with the impression that there is only one form of mine warfare, mine countermeasures. This is the effort to detect and negate hostile mines. The U.S. Navy’s mine warfare community is focused, one might even say fixated, on the mine threat. Now there is a reason for this. Since the end of World War Two, hostile mines have damaged or destroyed more U.S. Navy ships than any other threat. There is a host of advanced, difficult to detect mines available on the open market. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has an extremely large arsenal of mines and is investing in new designs.

The U.S. Navy is taking significant steps to enhance its ability to deal with hostile mines by enhancing its mine warfare countermeasures capabilities. The future of U.S. mine countermeasures is the Littoral Combat Ship with its mine warfare mission package. This package consists of nine integrated technologies that will constitute a quantum leap in the ability to detect and neutralize sea mines at longer-ranges and with less risk to ships and crews. The first mine warfare mission package is now undergoing testing.

Over the past four decades, the U.S. Navy has allowed its offensive mine warfare capability to deteriorate. The U.S. Navy understands just how much of a problem sea mines can be. Their flexibility and cost-effectiveness make mines attractive weapons. The cost of producing and laying a mine can be as little as 0.5 percent of the cost of removing it, and by some estimates it can take up to 200 times as long to clear a minefield as to lay it. So why has the U.S. Navy abandoned offensive mine warfare?

As it considers how to deal with emerging threats in the 21st century, the U.S. Navy needs to rediscover offensive mine warfare. Whether it is countering the Iranian threat to Persian Gulf shipping or addressing the growing power of the PLAN, offensive mine warfare could provide part of the solution. In the event of hostilities with Iran, a few mines in Iranian ports could effectively neutralize the Iranian Navy and the Republican Guard. Together with Japan, the U.S. Navy could bottle up the PLAN fleet simply by mining the passages through the Ryukyu island chain. What makes such a strategy particularly attractive is that neither the Iranian Navy nor the PLAN has a significant mine countermeasures capability.

To have an effective offensive mine warfare capability the U.S. Navy would have to invest in developing and acquiring advanced sea mines and the means to deliver them. Navy leaders, struggling to defend an unaffordable shipbuilding plan, probably would oppose the expenditure of any funds on offensive mine warfare. But this would be penny wise and pound foolish. An offensive sea mine capability could free the U.S. Navy from the need to defend access routes in the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific and allow it to focus scarce ships, planes and submarines where they had the greatest leverage.

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[buglerbilly]

SeaOtter MkII and SAS Demonstration Successfully Completed

(Source: Atlas Elektronik; issued October 1, 2010)

WINFRITH/BREMEN, Germany --- Atlas Elektronik has successfully delivered a series of technology demonstrations of the SeaOtter MkII and Vision600 Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS). The SAS equipped AUV conducted over 10 hours of survey runs mapping various sea bed features in the shallow waters of Portland Harbour. The Vision600 SAS provides 1 inch resolution across the 200m wide swath covered by the system.

The Vision SAS system is the result of a dedicated research effort by Atlas Elektronik UK in collaboration with Atlas Elektronik in Germany. The Vision600 SAS is a demonstration of the continual evolution of sonar technology, which Atlas Elektronik Group is committed to pursue. The Vision family of sonar is designed in a modular manner and by adding additional transducer arrays in different configurations can be adapted to produce wider swath coverage, higher rates of coverage or inferometric bathymetry.

The system is designed for AUV use with low power consumption, and can be directly interfaced with the MARPOS positioning system on the AUV. Furthermore, the system is controlled through the use of the payload manager in the SeaOtter MK II where it can be co-located and acoustically interfaced with other sensors.

A joint Atlas team from Germany, UK and Denmark (Atlas Maridan) held the demonstrations to UK and foreign military, as well as offshore survey and exploration organisations and companies over the course of three days.

Potential Customers from as far afield as Singapore, USA, Nigeria and all around the EU witnessed smooth deployment, flawless mission execution and easy recovery of the AUV in and out of the Atlas Bincleaves waterside facilities. In addition to the overseas visitors, Dorset Police and UK MOD showed great interest in the demonstration with representatives from DE&S, RN hydrographic unit and RN Fleet UUV team.

The demonstration showed the great flexibility of both systems, with the installation of the sonar on the AUV taking just 2 weeks from start and to acceptance test; this being the third different AUV Vision600 has been successfully integrated on. The sonar payload was under-slung on the AUV with no effect to its stability or operational performance, conducting all the survey mission legs at a speed of 3 knots. During the various survey tasks the AUV was set it recorded sonar data from a dummy minefield, conducted a route survey operation, and collected data from a number well known wreck within the harbour, including the “Countess of Erne” and the “Himalaya”.

The work, conducted under internal Atlas R&D funding, has generated an excellent survey data set of both civil and military data and imagery which Atlas will now use to further its research into Automatic Target Recognition (ATR). The quality of the imagery is amongst the best seen from a SAS system anywhere in the world with a 25mm resolution in both long and cross track data.

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[buglerbilly]

BAE Systems Wins U.S. Navy Minehunting Sonar Contract

(Source: BAE Systems; issued December 21, 2010)

HUDSON, N.H. --- BAE Systems will deliver an upgraded minehunting sonar system to the U.S. Navy for the detection and classification of bottom and moored sea mines. BAE Systems will provide four systems under a $14 million contract.

The AN/SQQ-32(V)4 minehunting sonar set with the high frequency wide band upgrade replaces the existing SQQ-32(V)3 detection sonar currently employed aboard the MCM-1 Avenger Class mine countermeasures ships. This upgrade improves detection performance in the littoral environment and against stealth mines.

“This is a key win for us and we now have a new customer, a new mission and a new product. We look forward to partnering with the Navy to deliver this improved minehunting capability to the fleet,” said Howie Weinstein, director of Persistent Surveillance for BAE Systems.

In addition to new detection sonar in the towed body, the upgrade replaces the operator consoles located in the Combat Information Center. In order to process the extensive data from new high speed optical channels within the system, these modernized operator consoles implement a multiple computer server layout interfaced via a 10Gbit communications network. With the extensive use of COTs open system components within the consoles, life cycle costs are reduced and incorporate a means for rapid technology insertion.

The initial base contract requires deliveries of four build-to-print production systems, with two options for an additional 10 systems and one battlespare. The base award value plus these options along with engineering services total $42 million. The AN/SQQ-32(V)4 system was designed by the teaming of the government laboratory Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City and the Applied Research Laboratory: University of Texas.

BAE Systems is a global defense, security and aerospace company with approximately 107,000 employees worldwide. The Company delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. In 2009 BAE Systems reported sales of £22.4 billion (US $36.2 billion).

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[buglerbilly]

Bluefin Awarded Contract to Develop Mine and IED Neutralization Variant of HAUV

(Source: Bluefin Robotics; issued March 30, 2010)



This is HAUV the new HAUN-N will be derived from this survey AUV..................

QUINCY, MA --- Bluefin Robotics, a leader in the design and manufacturing of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), was awarded a contract to develop a robotic ship hull mine and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) identification and neutralization capability for use in Joint Service Explosive Ordnance Disposal. A manipulator arm will be integrated onto the HAUV, a hovering AUV designed specifically for ship hull inspection. HAUN-N is the name of the new variant of the HAUV.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to leverage the work done on the HAUV and under our other underwater systems programs for this important US Navy requirement,” said David. P. Kelly, President and CEO of Bluefin Robotics.

The current practice for hull mine/IED identification and neutralization involves sending divers to scan the hull for targets and, when found, to mark them and neutralize them manually. The Bluefin Team—consisting of Bluefin Robotics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory of Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Orca Maritime of San Diego, California—proposes to accomplish the task with an HAUV-N equipped with a high-precision manipulator arm and a video camera. The AUV will be capable of maintaining station at the target while a remote operator neutralizes the device, thereby keeping divers out of harm's way and completing the task more expeditiously.

Development of HAUV began in 2002 as an Office of Naval Research (ONR) program to automate hull searches. HAUV's development has undergone a series of developmental steps, culminating with the successful demonstration of 100% non-complex area coverage in 2008. In 2011, Bluefin was awarded a $30 million contract modification exercising the production option for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Hull Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Localization System (HULS).

The Office of Naval Research is the contracting office for the Joint Service Explosive Ordnance Disposal program.

Bluefin Robotics manufactures and develops Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems and technology. Founded in 1997, the company has grown to become a world leader in AUV products designed for defense, commercial, and scientific applications. Bluefin Robotics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Battelle.

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[buglerbilly]

Germany calls for increased European MCM cooperation

June 08, 2011

European nations must encourage increased cooperation in the procurement and operation of mine-countermeasure (MCM) technology, according to a senior officer in the Federal German Navy.

Speaking to delegates at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) conference in London, RAdm Jurgen Mannhardt, deputy commander and director of specialist divisions, described how European navies had the chance to 'procure autonomous operated vehicles, interchangeable between nations and inexpensive'.

Announcing 'numerous challenges' in the MCM arena of operations including how Europe's capability was being reduced, Mannhardt said: 'The Federal German Navy is interested in any cooperation to make MCM faster, arriving on scene more quickly and accomplishing MCM missions more quickly.'

Mannhardt added that the Federal German Navy was adopting a strategy of operating mine-hunting vessels allied with autonomously operated vehicles (AOVs) which could be 'quickly transferred to any vehicle of opportunity', although he conceded such a move was expensive.

In addition, he called for the world's navies to maintain 'protective and defensive' anti-submarine warfare (ASW) skills, describing how more and more nations and organisations were becoming more capable of building military and non-military submarines even though some did not reach the highest levels.

'Small [and] deployed submarines pose threats to expeditionary forces. They are hard to detect and may become more important in the future. Larger ocean-going submarines can operate close to the coast and there is a requirement for sensors for shallow and deep waters,' Mannhardt concluded.

Andrew White, London

[buglerbilly]

Northrop Grumman to Supply AQS-24A Airborne Mine-Hunting System to Japan



ANNAPOLIS, Md., Oct. 24, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been competitively selected to supply the AQS-24A airborne mine-hunting system to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Under the initial contract, Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit will deliver the airborne mine-hunting system to Kawasaki Heavy Industries for integration into Japan's new Airborne Mine Countermeasures MCH-101 helicopter.

"The combination of our proven high performance, low cost and ease of integration in the MCH-101 airframe makes the AQS-24A the ideal choice for Japan's helicopter-based mine-hunting needs," said Tom Jones, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit. "As the only operational airborne mine-hunting search system in the U.S. Navy, the AQS-24A has demonstrated very high reliability in the field with the Navy's Helicopter Mine Countermeasures squadrons."

The AQS-24A and its predecessors, the AQS-24 and the AQS-14, have been the only operational airborne mine hunting search systems used by the U.S. Navy for the past 27 years. The AQS-24A is a high speed mine-hunting system that is primarily towed from the MH-53E helicopter, but has been easily adapted to the smaller Japanese MCH-101 aircraft. With a track record of proven reliability and performance across the globe, the system's high-resolution side-scan sonar detects, localizes and classifies both bottom and moored mines in real time at high area coverage rates.

The AQS-24A contains a laser line scanner that provides precision optical identification of underwater mines and other objects of interest. The AQS-24A allows for simultaneous operation of the sonar and laser, which significantly improves area coverage rate, shortens the mine clearance timeline and alleviates unnecessary maintenance cycles. Advanced navigation controls and processing provide highly accurate target positioning.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

[buglerbilly]

Ramora UK’s New Diving Service Unmatched Outside the Armed Forces

(Source: Ramora UK; issued October 25, 2011)

Ramora UK, world-class experts in dealing with items of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and the associated risks, has announced a new service offering to be delivered by a highly qualified bespoke bomb disposal diving team.

Comprising of former Royal Navy Clearance Divers, the team will provide a truly global service, including operations in past and present conflict zones. Able to deploy as a stand-alone, fully self contained unit from a range of vessels this new service represents considerable time and cost savings for clients, the specialist unit will undertake UXO search and disposal operations down to a maximum depth of 50m. or operations at greater depths, Ramora UK will continue to use its proven remote-controlled REODS system). Using many of the skills and techniques employed by Royal Navy divers, all operations will be conducted in accordance with HSE best practice and utilise state of the art diving equipments.

Outside of the armed forces, Ramora UK will be the first and only organisation in the UK providing this level of reactive UXO service. Indeed, in some areas, the company’s capabilities and experience now exceed those that can be deployed by the MOD.

Ramora UK anticipate that demand for this new service will come from a number of quarters, including the offshore oil and gas industry and, increasingly, from the offshore renewables sector.

According to David Welch MIExpE, Ramora UK’s Managing Director:

“We are confident that our new UXO Clearance Diving service, a unique offering in the commercial world, will give us a truly distinctive edge and confirm our world-class expertise in the UXO field.”

Ramora UK is the trading name for Ramora Global Limited. Ramora UK is a leading global provider of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) services and training. Ramora UK offers a wide range of land and maritime Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and EOD services including the design and delivery of professional training, practical services, equipment procurement, equipment solutions, integration services and consultancy solutions

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[buglerbilly]

Thailand Becomes the Tenth Seafox Customer

(Source: Atlas Elektronik; issued December 8, 2011)



BREMEN, Germany --- Atlas Elektronik has won a new customer for SeaFox: With the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), yet another navy has decided to upgrade its minehunting capabilities with the Atlas mine neutralization drone. A respective agreement was signed recently.

Atlas will supply three mobile SeaFox systems with the corresponding number of SeaFox I units for inspection and training purposes and an initially small number of SeaFox C combat units for mine disposal. Further SeaFox C units are to follow over the next few years. The mobile SeaFox system is a completely autonomous system that allows the deployment of SeaFox vehicles with no dependence on shipboard facilities or equipment. This permits deployment of the SeaFox vehicles from various types of ships at any time, without the need to convert the vessels in any way.

The Royal Thai Navy currently operates four mine countermeasures vessels, all of which are equipped with mine warfare systems made by Atlas. The vessels to be modernized belong to two different ship classes. As the first step, the boats will be fitted with SeaFox units in the form of a mobile SeaFox system.

RTN’s decision in favour of SeaFox improves the position of Atlas for the upcoming modernization of the mine warfare systems on the four minehunters.

In total, ten navies have now decided to operate the SeaFox, making it the most successful mine disposal system in the world.

This fibre-optic guided, one-shot mine disposal vehicle SeaFox C is used for semi-autonomous disposal of naval mines and other ordnance found at sea. It is able to automatically relocate previously acquired positions of underwater objects within minutes with the integrated homing sonar. After relocating, these objects can be identified using the onboard CCTV camera and destroyed by the use of a built-in, large caliber shaped charge.

SeaFox I is a reusable vehicle for identification and training in the application field of mine hunting. In this vehicle the SeaFox C warhead is replaced by ballast weight. It is deployable from a wide range of carrier platforms, including dedicated MCM vessels, surface combatants, craft of opportunity, rubber boats and helicopters.

The Atlas Elektronik Group stands for maritime and naval solutions above and below the ocean surface. The company holds a leading position in all fields of maritime high technology, from command & control systems including radio & communication systems for submarines, surface combatants and mine warfare systems and ranging to heavyweight torpedoes, coastal surveillance systems and in-service support. Atlas has established a worldwide customer portfolio. The electronics specialist is a joint company of ThyssenKrupp and EADS and has a workforce of 1900 highly skilled employees.

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[buglerbilly]

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force selects ALMDS

03 February 2012 - 10:29 by the Shephard News Team



Northrop Grumman has announced that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has purchased four of its Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) to help protect its coastline and the daily maritime traffic coming in and out of the country's ports. According to the company, this marks the first direct commercial sale of Northrop Grumman helicopter-mountable, laser mine detection systems to an international navy.

The mine detection system is laser-based and utilises streak tube imaging light detection and ranging (LIDAR) to detect, classify and localise near-surface moored sea mines. With high area coverage rate capability, the system transmits a fan-shaped beam of laser light to establish its swath width, and then relies on the forward motion of the helicopter to sweep the light over the water in a ‘push broom’ manner.

Four cameras are arranged to cover the same swath illuminated by the laser fan beam. As images are received by the system, an automatic target recognition algorithm picks out potential mine-like objects and stores their images for classification by shipboard Fleet operators, using computer-aided post-mission analysis tools.

Originally developed for the US Navy, the addition of ALMDS to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force mine countermeasures suite of solutions provides them with significantly enhanced mine detection capability, according to Northrop Grumman. It will also improve the exchange of information between the US Navy and JMSDF during allied operations.

The company said it is working closely with its industry partners Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Fujitsu Limited on the delivery and installation of ALMDS.