Unmanned Underwater Vessels

[buglerbilly]

AlumiFuel Power, Inc. Begins Execution of Navy UUV Contract, Opening Up Entry Into Vast New Market

(Source: AlumiFuel Power Corporation; issued August 6, 2010)

CENTENNIAL, CO --- AlumiFuel Power, Inc., the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based subsidiary of AlumiFuel Power Corporation, announced today that it has begun execution of a U.S. Department of the Navy R&D contract for a new hydrogen source to power future Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs). API is a subcontractor to Ingenium Technologies, Inc. of Rockford, Illinois, a turnkey systems integrator with special engineering expertise in advanced power and energy systems.

The overall global UUV market is expected to reach $12 billion over the next decade, encompassing commercial, naval and other national security applications. This number includes $1.2 billion for the power systems, with $400-$500 million related to the fuel modules. API has been interacting with selected defense contractors in the design of novel energy generators (including superheated steam as well as hydrogen) to power U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial UUVs and submersibles for over two years. In fact, apart from this Navy R&D contract, API's technology for underwater applications has been incorporated into three other proposals to DoD customers by three separate major defense contractors.

API's President & CEO, Mr. David Cade, stated, "We view this Navy R&D contract as the first step towards development and commercialization of our multiple power source approach for UUVs. We and Ingenium are confident that the ultimate fielding of this API technology will represent a force multiplier for the Navy, offering substantial mission duration and range benefits over current UUV power sources which rely on battery technologies. Ingenium and API also intend to apply this same technology to other UUV customer requirements involving commercial gas, oil and pipeline applications as well as Homeland Security port inspection applications."

In this new R&D contract, the Navy is seeking a novel hydrogen source to power air independent fuel cells for future UUV missions, which is one of API's primary target applications. The Phase I research of the contract will focus on developing a refuelable hydrogen generating system using solid fuel cartridges (similar to those developed and used by API for other applications) and to demonstrate the continuous delivery of fuel-cell grade hydrogen for eight hours. As the prime contractor, Ingenium has developed the overall system design, with API's hydrogen generation technology as the key fuel source component of the proposed design.

API and Ingenium recently signed an exclusive partnership agreement in which API's technology provides the energy to drive turbines and fuel cells in power plants designed, engineered and integrated by Ingenium.

API is an early production stage alternative energy company that generates hydrogen gas and superheated steam through the chemical reaction of aluminum, water, and proprietary additives. This technology is ideally suited for multiple niche applications requiring on-site, on-demand fuel sources, serving National Security and commercial customers. API's hydrogen feeds fuel cells for portable and back-up power, fills inflatable devices such as weather balloons, and can replace costly, hard-to-handle and high pressure K-Cylinders.

AlumiFuel Power Corporation operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, AlumiFuel Power, Inc., a Philadelphia-based early production stage alternative energy company that generates hydrogen gas and steam for multiple niche applications requiring on-site, on-demand fuel sources.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

NOT Underwater but Surface vessel.............

DATE:25/08/10

SOURCE:Flight Daily News

AUVSI: QinetiQ's Blackfish detects divers

By Brett Davis

QinetiQ North America's Blackfish, a robotic jet ski, has completed trials in Newport, Rhode Island where it successfully detected intruding divers.

The company won a contract from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in 2008 to develop Blackfish as part of the Integrated Swimmer Defense program to detect underwater interlopers. As part of the Rhode Island trials, Blackfish was able to detect a swimmer, or a telltale bubble cloud, during multiple attempts. ONR is evaluating the results of the trials now and could order a second vehicle, says James Murray, QinetiQ program manager.

On display at the show is a working prototype, and the company says it is production-ready.


© Billypix
AUVSI: QinetiQ's Blackfish detects divers

It's a basic commercial jet ski underwater, but "everything from the waterline on up, we did," says Murray. "It's a very modular platform and makes extensive use of commercial, off-the-shelf components."

Blackfish's swimmer defense payload includes sonar, an underwater camera with light and low-speed maneuvering thrusters. Optional payloads could include nonlethal weapons, remotely fired weapons or additional sensors. It has a top speed of more than 40 knots, an operational range of 1km (0.62 miles) from its antennas, a mission endurance of 1h, and batteries that can be swapped out in less than five minutes.

[buglerbilly]

Tight Budgets, Needs Alter USN Unmanned Efforts

Aug 25, 2010



By Amy Butler abutler@aviationweek.com
DENVER

Fiscal constraints will be a major driving factor in the capabilities that the U.S. Navy will seek in unmanned vehicles in the coming years, says the chief of naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead.

However, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) will be called upon to fill what he calls a “capability gap” in the Navy’s ability to collect intelligence in the maritime domain.

Despite the potential for unmanned systems to be “potential game-changers” in how the Navy conducts its operations, they will not be independent from the fleet and will require links to nearby Navy assets. “We do not have the luxury, even if we have the desire,” for unmanned systems to operate independently, Roughead said in a speech at the Association of Unmanned Vehicles International Unmanned Systems North America 2010 conference here.

In the Navy’s Fiscal 2012 budget proposal sent to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Roughead says he wants to spend about 50% of available UUV research and development money on improving their endurance. Ultimately, he would like to see 3-4 weeks of endurance and reserve power for some higher-speed maneuvers and to handle strong underwater currents.

Once the power problem is solved, Roughead says he wants to tackle how to bring UUV into a larger Navy information network despite their ability to travel vast distances on missions.

Also in the 2012 budget proposal, Roughead says he is planning to “enhance and restore electronic warfare dominance,” for the military. This mission area has suffered from wavering support from the Air Force and Navy. He also says he plans to push for restoring the information dominance expertise required to be successful in today’s fights.

For UAS, Roughead emphasizes he is not interested in duplicating capabilities already handled by the Air Force; the services signed an agreement this summer to explore “synergies” in the Global Hawk and Broad Area Maritime Surveillance programs. No specific breakthroughs on this agreement have yet been announced.

Roughead emphasized his goal of getting UAS to the field as soon as possible, highlighting work with the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout, which is being deployed early on frigates in advance of the Littoral Combat Ship The LCS is first full ship class on which the Fire Scout is supposed to deploy organically. Additionally, the chief of naval operations stands firm behind a 2018 goal of deploying the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike system to aircraft carriers.

Unmanned systems must be designed with manpower requirements upfront, Roughead says. The Air Force is now struggling with massive, unanticipated manpower needs for its Predator, Reaper and Global Hawk fleets. Roughead says the manpower cost of a particular system must be understood at the beginning of a program so “we don’t count the noses at the back of the room” and get hit with a surprise bill.

Aside from fiscal constraints, another limiting factor for UAS types and designs will to operate from the decks of today’s ships. In 10 years, 220 of the current 289 ships at sea will still be operating.

(Remus UUV: Hydroid)

Credit: HYDROID

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Navy Investing in Long-Endurance Unmanned Assets

Posted by Paul McLeary at 8/26/2010 8:39 AM CDT



Aviation Week’s Amy Butler has a great piece this morning about a speech the U.S. Navy's Commander of Naval Operations Gary Roughead gave yesterday in Denver, in which he decried a “capabilities gap” in the Navy’s unmanned air and sea assets--while promising to do something about it.

There has been some action as of late in the Navy’s attitude toward unmanned assets. Back in July, AvWeek’s Bettina Chavanne reported that the Navy unveiled it’s brand-new unmanned maritime vehicle (UMV) office, which was designed to bring together traditional acquisition activities and advanced development n a single shop. Program manager Capt. Duane Ashton described the office’s function as being “to coordinate [unmanned vehicle acquisition] efforts and then direct specific experimentation and technology maturation.” The Navy hasn’t updated its official public doctrine on unmanned sea assets since 2004 when it released its Master UUV Plan, although word is that a revised document is due later this year.

As for Roughead’s talk, Amy reports that while Roughead said that UUVs are “potential game-changers” in how the Navy conducts its operations, there is no talk of untethering them from the fleet, meaning that they will still require links to nearby Navy assets. “We do not have the luxury, even if we have the desire,” for unmanned systems to operate independently, Roughead said. But then the Adm. dropped his big announcement:

In the Navy’s Fiscal 2012 budget proposal sent to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Roughead says he wants to spend about 50% of available UUV research and development money on improving their endurance. Ultimately, he would like to see 3-4 weeks of endurance and reserve power for some higher-speed maneuvers and to handle strong underwater currents.

Once the power problem is solved, Roughead says he wants to tackle how to bring UUV into a larger Navy information network despite their ability to travel vast distances on missions.

Also in the 2012 budget proposal, Roughead says he is planning to “enhance and restore electronic warfare dominance,” for the military. This mission area has suffered from wavering support from the Air Force and Navy. He also says he plans to push for restoring the information dominance expertise required to be successful in today’s fights.

Now we wait for the updated UUV strategy to be released so we can see just how far the Navy plans on taking this idea.

(Photo: Search and salvage specialists deploy an unmanned underwater vehicle into the Pacific Ocean. U.S. Navy)

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Budgetary Hard Times Lowers all Boats

Posted by John M. Doyle at 8/26/2010 9:24 AM CDT

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) says defense budget constraints in coming years are not just a problem for the U.S. Military.

“This is a common challenge,” Adm. Gary Roughead told a session at the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International in Denver.


(U.S. Navy photo)

And because of that, Roughead said he was “very open” to cooperating with foreign militaries in developing unmanned systems.

Just last week, the CNO said, he was meeting with military officials from a partner nation and they discussed an underwater system that looked promising. Roughead said he wanted to explore “how we would use it.”

He did not specify the country or the technology but last week Roughead was in Scandinavia meeting with his Norwegian and Swedish naval counterparts.

In his speech to the unmanned air, land and maritime vehicle organization, Roughead said he wants to devote 50 percent of the Navy's Fiscal 2012 funding request for unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) research to improving how long they can stay out on missions – ideally three to four weeks. Once the endurance problem is licked, the CNO wants to focus research on integrating UUVs into the Navy's communications and intelligence networks.

Roughead also told the gathering that he terminated a major unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) program because after “putting a lot of money into it, it just wasn't going anywhere.” That system, the Mission Reconfigurable Underwater Unmanned Vehicle (MRUUV), was a 21-inch diameter underwater drone equipped to swap out interchangeable payloads that would permit a range of missions.

But the Navy has since decided to invest more time, money and effort into larger diameter UUVs that are not confined by the dimensions of a submarine torpedo tube.

[buglerbilly]

UUV Development Accelerates

Sep 1, 2010



By Andy Nativi
Genoa

Experts are convinced that unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) will play major roles in naval warfare. They concede, however, that full realization of this vision is in the future. Although robotic vehicles are redefining air and land operations, the revolution in unmanned vehicles for undersea and surface use is still in its early stages.

Numerous programs are underway to enhance the capabilities of UUVs and AUVs and produce versions that can be used for a range of missions. These include: reconnaissance and surveillance, undersea surveying and mapping, intelligence-gathering, mine countermeasures (MCM), rapid environmental assessments (REAs), amphibious warfare, port and force defense, and special operations. Antisubmarine warfare could also be at least partially handled by UUVs, as well as beach reconnaissance and breaching obstacles.

Operating underwater is difficult and complex, and complicates efforts to coordinate operations among robotic vehicles and surface vessels. Nevertheless, the promise of UUVs and AUVs is so great, especially as naval operations shift from blue water to the littorals, that navies and manufacturers are pursuing development, making them one of the most promising naval businesses.

UUV designers exploit systems that were developed for commercial and scientific use and for MCM. Underwater vehicles for MCM have evolved from crude, cable-controlled platforms that were useful for keeping vessels at a safe distance from areas where mines could be expected, to platforms that can operate autonomously. Since the introduction of the first-generation PAP-104 Mk.2 UUV by ECA of France, major steps have been taken to minimize risks of mine-clearing and to speed operations.

Europe has invested heavily in UUVs and AUVs. The U.S. embraced the technology late but has become a leader in research. In July the U.S. Navy established a program office to manage its unmanned maritime vehicle (UMV) efforts, merging traditional acquisition and advanced development into a single charter. “The goal is to coordinate [unmanned vehicle acquisition] and direct experimentation and technology maturation,” says Capt. Duane Ashton, program manager. The UMV office falls under the purview of the Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare. The mixture of acquisition and development means the UMV office works with industry, academia and research laboratories to advance development and direct acquisition.

The Surface MCM System UUV, part of the mine countermeasures mission package, is managed by the UMV office. The goal is to build several development models, field them and incorporate feedback from sailors into the program, Ashton says. The Navy continues to experiment with programs like the large-diameter UUV, which will be used for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Lessons learned will be applied to the goal of developing a long-endurance, multimission, reconfigurable UUV.

Boeing Maritime ISR Systems’ Echo Ranger UUV is being used for tests. The vehicle has been proven down to 3,000 meters (9,843 ft.) and demonstrated 28-hr. endurance. Boeing previously developed the AN/BLQ-11 mine survey UUV, which is in service with Los Angeles-class submarines.

ECA, for example, offers Olister as a successor to the PAP-104. It is 3.1 meters long, weighs 600 kg. (1,320 lb.), and cruises at more than 6 kt. on battery or cable power. The closely named Alister is the company’s AUV entry. Weighing up to 960 kg. depending on sensor suite and operable at depths of 300 meters, it has endurance of 12-20 hr. and top speed of 8 kt. The K-Ster UUV, a 50-kg. mine-killer, completes the company’s range.

The U.S. Navy deploys several types of robotic vehicles. These include BAE Systems’ Archerfish, a single-shot minekiller with a directed-energy warhead, scanning sonar and twin propulsors that let it hover beside a target for remote video identification. Archerfish can be launched from surface ships, UUVs or dropped from helicopters. Another vehicle is the semi-submersible WLD-1, a diesel-powered, radio-controlled minehunter from Lockheed Martin that is 7 meters (23 ft.) long, weighs 5.8 tons and has a top speed of 16 kt.

Manufacturers in Europe and Asia, meanwhile, continue to expand or develop undersea robotic technology.

Kongsberg of Norway, which acquired Hydroid Co. of the U.S., also claims a broad product portfolio. Its Hugin AUV family comprises models with diameters of 0.75 to 1 meter, which can be equipped with sensors and operate in semi-autonomous or autonomous modes. The Hugin 1000 has 24-hr. endurance and a 4-kt. cruising speed, while the 3000 runs for 60 hr. Completing the product lineup is the Remus (Remote Environmental Measuring Units) AUV line. This includes the model 100, with a 19-cm. (7.5-in.) diameter and weighing 37 kg. It operates at 100 meters with 22-hr. endurance and runs at 5 kt. for 8 hr. The 600, which weighs 240 kg., can be configured to operate at 600, 1,500 or 3,000 meters. It has 60-hr. endurance and top speed of 5 kt. The 600 is 3.25 meters long, 32.4 cm. in diameter and carries a range of sensors due to its modular design. The Remus 6000, at 862 kg., descends to 6,000 meters and has an endurance of 22 hr.

Atlas Elektronik, jointly owned by ThyssenKrupp and EADS, acquired Qinetiq’s underwater systems business in May 2009, and has a range of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and AUVs. The ROV family starts with the SeaFox MCM system. This includes SeaFox I, for mine identification and inspection, and SeaFox IQ, for intelligence gathering and interception. Both are 1.3 meters long, weigh 40 kg., operate at 300 meters and cruise at 6 kt. with a range of 1.2 km.

Larger AUVs include the SeaOtter Mk. II and deep-diving Sea Otter Mk. II D. The former is for MCM, ISR (including on the surface) and REA missions. Its modular design permits different payloads. Sea Otter Mk II is 3.45 meters long, weighs 1,000 kg., has 24-hr. endurance and top speed of 8 kt.

BAE Systems is pursuing several UUV projects with a modular concept. First out of the box is the 1-ton Talisman M, with a mission system repackaged in the smaller Talisman L. The latter weighs 50 kg. and operates for 12 hr. at 100 meters. Talisman M, 4.5 X 2.5 meters, operates at 300 meters and cruises at 5 kt., powered by a hybrid-diesel propulsion system. Endurance is 24 hr., but BAE plans to extend this to several days.

GayMarine of Italy, a manufacturer of ROVs, plans to produce Gigas, which will weigh 600 kg., cruise above 7 kt., carry a 100-kg. payload and operate at 600 meters. The company has developed a mine-disposal vehicle called Plutino, which carries a 15-kg. payload, weighs 50-90 kg., operates at 300 meters and cruises at 6 kt.

Saab has a technological base in MCM operations and entered the AUV business with its modular AUV62-MR for mine reconnaissance. It is cylindrical, 4, 7 or 10 meters long, with a 53-cm. diameter, and weighs 600-1,500 kg. Top speed is more than 20 kt. The vehicle covers 20 sq. km. (7.7 sq. mi.) per hr. in REA missions. It operates autonomously at 500 meters.

Saab plans to convert the Double Eagle ROV into a hybrid ROV/AUV, which can perform MCM operations while moving well ahead of a MCM vessel. The vehicle weighs 540 kg., and cruises at 8 kt. at depths of 500 meters. Standard cable length is 1,000 meters. It has endurance of more than 10 hr. in AUV mode, and carries a 250-kg. payload.

Singapore, Australia and Japan are leading UUV development in Asia-Pacific, with South Korea soon to follow. Singapore has two programs—Meredith and Starfish. Meredith, unveiled by DSO National Laboratories in May and now being tested by the navy, is a 2.5-meter-long vehicle that detects and destroys mines. Operating depth is 100 meters, with 5-hr. endurance and cruising speed of 6 kt.

Starfish is in development by ST Electronics and the National University of Singapore. It is 2 meters long, autonomous and can be used in commercial and military applications. Although Starfish’s GPS lost its fix a few times in trials, the vehicle obtained sufficient position data to complete the test mission.

The Japanese defense ministry’s Technical Research and Development Institute has a program called “Multipurpose UUV System Research,” with a ¥2.8-billion ($33.2-million) budget. It began in 2008, and tests will run from 2010-12. Planned missions include antisubmarine warfare, *minehunting, seabed surveying and underwater surveillance. A direct methanol fuel cell, which is claimed to have 3.4-times higher energy density than a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, is being studied as a power supply.

With Bettina H. Chavanne in Washington and Sunho Beck in Seoul.

Photo: BAE

[Weasel]

UUV Development Accelerates

Sep 1, 2010



By Andy Nativi
Genoa

....

Operating underwater is difficult and complex, and complicates efforts to coordinate operations among robotic vehicles and surface vessels. Nevertheless, the promise of UUVs and AUVs is so great, especially as naval operations shift from blue water to the littorals, that navies and manufacturers are pursuing development, making them one of the most promising naval businesses.

....

With Bettina H. Chavanne in Washington and Sunho Beck in Seoul.

Photo: BAE

Um, no it is not. The next question would be "What planet does this guy come from?"

The only thing that makes operating underwater "difficult and complex", is if you have people going underwater with the thingy you make. and then try and provide information to those "hanger ons" without compromising their little bubble.

And please, communicating to above surface assets? That was figured out a long time ago. The question comes back to the system used to develop platforms

1) contracting and contract type. If you reward "complex and difficult systems" you will get a complex and difficult product
2) Assumptions made within the contracting vehicle. e.g. that "COTS" lowers complexity;cost; and can operate underwater. (It doesn't, 100% of time) I would suggest that it does this perhaps <5% of the time.

Lessons learned from UUVs can be applied to other programs outside water operations like aircraft, food supply, logistics, trucks, tents, clothing, lights, you name it. I can't think of a R&D program that has more bang for your buck than a UUV R&D program, because of this ability to cross-pollinate and effect unrelated systems with "lessons learned" data.

cheers

w

[buglerbilly]

Errrmmm "What planet does this guy come from?"

Bettina Chavanne is a quite good looking chick..............not sure but Sunho Beck sounds like a guy?

The rest of your points are well made...........there is also the fact that if a UUV operates effectively 95% of the time who cares IF you lose it occasionally IF the unit price is low, sub $100K or whatever...........that is the sort of thing they should be aiming at, a cheap "who gives a damn" whether you lose it system. In fact in time of conflict it may be more effective to "lose" it rather than try and recoup the asset........

Industry has very occasionally achieved a Low Cost/High Effectiveness system JDAMS being the best by far............

[Weasel]

Errrmmm "What planet does this guy come from?"

Bettina Chavanne is a quite good looking chick..............not sure but Sunho Beck sounds like a guy?

The rest of your points are well made...........there is also the fact that if a UUV operates effectively 95% of the time who cares IF you lose it occasionally IF the unit price is low, sub $100K or whatever...........that is the sort of thing they should be aiming at, a cheap "who gives a damn" whether you lose it system. In fact in time of conflict it may be more effective to "lose" it rather than try and recoup the asset........

Industry has very occasionally achieved a Low Cost/High Effectiveness system JDAMS being the best by far............

well you know what they say in Bali about good looking chicks.

cheers

w

[buglerbilly]

I know someone that happened to in Bangkok. He's never been back.............:rofl

[buglerbilly]

British submersible enters service with Russian Navy

12:46 GMT, December 8, 2010

SEVASTOPOL | The Russian Black Sea Fleet has put into service a British-made remotely operated vehicle (ROV), a fleet spokesman said on Wednesday, according to RIA Novosti.

Seaeye Panther Plus is designed to perform salvage operations including torpedo recovery and support of distressed submarines with emergency life support pods and can operate at depths up to 1,000 meters (3,000 feet).

It was adopted for service with the Black Sea Fleet after extensive testing and a 50-hour underwater operation at depths of up to 100 meters, the spokesman said.

The decision to buy the system from Britain was made after an incident with Russian submariners in the Bering Sea in August 2005, when Russia's AS-28 submersible became tangled in a fishing net at a depth of about 190 meters (about 620 feet).

It was rescued after three days when a British unmanned deep-sea rescue vehicle, the Scorpio 45, cut the net's cables and freed the Priz.

Typical (civilian) Panther applications include pipeline surveys, touch down monitoring, cable installation, drill support and NDT (nondestructive testing) inspections.

Russian shipyards have not built a single ROV-class vehicle in the past decade. (RIA Novosti)

[buglerbilly]

European Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS)

(Source: European Defence Agency; issued Dec. 9, 2010)

The “European Unmanned Maritime Systems for Mine-Counter-Measures and other naval applications (UMS)” is the third EDA Category A programme. It represents the first major and concrete success of an ambitious technology programme directly connected to Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM), one of the twelve EDA’s Capability Development Plan priority actions decided by the Agency’s participating Member States in July 2008.

Through Research & Technology (R&T), demonstrators and de-risking studies, the UMS programme will prepare the next generation of technologies of the Category B programme MMCM, currently in the preparation phase for delivering an initial capacity by 2018.

The UMS initiative is a direct output of the European Defence Research and Technology (EDRT) Strategy together with the newly created system-CapTech on “Naval Systems and their environment”, as it addresses one of the twenty-two R&T priorities agreed by the representatives of participating Member States. In addition it attempts to improve the current collaboration means by enabling coordination, reducing administrative burden and decreasing the idea-to-contract period associated to R&T project generation.

Ten EDA Member States (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) and Norway are contributing to the four-year 53 Million Euro programme which aims at improving naval capacities by improving the capabilities of Unmanned Maritime Systems through a system-of-systems approach while taking into account the notions of interoperability, modularity, inter-changeability of modules and standardisation.

As mentioned above, UMS projects focus mainly on MCM (influence minesweeping; drifting mines detection; and buried mines detection and neutralisation) but also address other naval applications including harbour protection and antisubmarine warfare. In addition, the programme includes projects with transversal impact, studying issues such as: underwater communications; improved autonomy; network enabled coordination; interfaces and standards; and even safety and regulations for unmanned maritime vehicles.

A systems-integration group has also been established to coordinate the programme and examine future UMS R&T topics such as UMS launch-and-recovery, torpedo defence and energy supply for unmanned underwater vehicles.

The programme will allow the involvement of a wide range of entities including navies, national laboratories, universities and industries. It will also increase opportunities for contributing Members to co-operate with each other and to exchange information and know-how. A considerable network of more than a hundred experts has already been established and is envisaged as the main EDA forum for addressing R&T for Unmanned Maritime Systems in the future.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Launch of Espadon Naval Drone

(Source: French Armaments Agency, DGA; issued Dec. 9, 2010)

(Issued in French only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)


The French Espadon unmanned surface vehicle demonstrator, put to sea on Dec. 8, is a “drone-carrying drone” developed for future mine warfare missions. (DGA photo)

The demonstrator of a naval surface drone was launched at Hennebont (Morbihan on December 8, 2010. It was developed under a basic research contract awarded in July 2009 by DGA to an industry group comprising DCNS, Thales and ECA, and financed by the French government’s economic recovery plan.

The Espadon (swordfish) is an unmanned surface vessel that is 17 meters long and displaces 25 tonnes, and christened Sterenn Du (black star in the local Breton language). In 2011, it will be fitted with a towed array sonar and small submarine drones developed by Thales and ECA respectively.

This “drone-carrying drone” was fabricated by the firm Pech’Alu International, also based in the Morbihan district, under the prime contractorship of DCNS. Detailed blueprints were designed by the Nantes-based HT2 design office.

The goal of this type of unmanned surface vehicle is to conduct minehunting operations over large stretches of the sea, both in the littorals and offshore, without endangering the lives of human crewmen.

Sea trials will be carried out in 2011 and 2012 off the western tip of Brittany on behalf of DGA and the French navy.

The Espadon program is part of the over-arching Système de Lutte Anti-Mines Futur (future mine countermeasures program, or SLAMF), and will allow the implementation of the latest developments in naval robotics to improve mine warfare capabilities.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Views of the Espadon after launch............pics via Mer et Marine blog.............









See more here: http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=114796

[buglerbilly]

Following pic from Phillipe Chapleau's Ligne De Defense blog................

[McFriday]

Bug,
That "Mer et Marine" site is a good read, even though my French is a little rusty I could find no mention of the permanence of the cockpit.
I wonder if after the test period it will be retained to allow direct human control when required? For something this large it would make sense, non?
The proposed mother-ship seems to make good use of the catamaran format and the French should know how to make good large multihulls, if they don't by now all that open ocean racing has been for nought.
Cheers,
Mac

[buglerbilly]

I'd say permanent; Coasties don't tend to be too happy having unmanned vessels wandering around and the vessels looks low viz, hence suitable for other matters of a military nature?

[McFriday]

I'd say permanent; Coasties don't tend to be too happy having unmanned vessels wandering around and the vessels looks low viz, hence suitable for other matters of a military nature?

Bug,
Concur on the first point and your second point was actually my first thought when lamping the pic! LOL
The present con stations' angular lines are completely at odds to the rest of the vessel and would probably give a very high radar return?
For little jaunts closing a 'hostile' coast to deliver and retrieve packages [or non-visa'd tourists] a much more subtle canopy, in accord with the hulls flowing lines, could be easily installed by the look of it.
The stern view does tend to trigger the imagination as to the possibilities of variable loads, including even the mine countermeasures drones they claim it's for!! LOL
Cheers,
Mac

[buglerbilly]

ACTUV Program Initiates Concept Designs

(Source: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; issued December 28, 2010)

As new submarine classes achieve ever increasing levels of acoustic quieting and operational performance, tracking foreign submarines has become more difficult. Some modern diesel electric submarines are able to challenge conventional tracking approaches, risking future U.S. capability in the undersea battlespace. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has initiated the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program to address this deficiency.

The ACTUV concept is based on an independently deployed unmanned naval vessel optimized for continuous trail of quiet submarines. “It will be a clean sheet unmanned ship design with no person stepping aboard at any point in its operating cycle,” said Rob McHenry, DARPA program manager. “ACTUV will enable unique architectures for robust platform performance across a range of conventional and non-conventional missions, as well as cost-effective fabrication approaches.”

The program seeks to advance autonomous operations technology with a goal of full compliance with safe navigation requirements while executing its tactical mission under a sparse remote supervisory control model. Finally, ACTUV will leverage its unique characteristics to employ a novel suite of sensors capable of robustly tracking quiet diesel electric submarines to deliver a game changing operational capability that puts asymmetric tactical and economic advantages in the United States’ favor.

Based on lessons learned from the six month Phase 1 effort, DARPA will define a system performance specification to serve as the basis for subsequent competition for prototype system design, construction and at-sea demonstration.

Six contractor teams will support the development of concept designs for the ACTUV system, and execute risk reduction activities for key technology enablers. Integrated system concept design teams include Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems, based in Annapolis, Md.; Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) Intelligence, Security, and Technology Group, based in Long Beach, Miss.; and Qinetiq North America Technology Solutions Group, based in Waltham, Mass. Conducting development and demonstration of key enabling technologies are the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory, in Seattle, for testing of high frequency active sonar for acquisition and tracking of submarine targets; Spatial Integrated Systems, based in Kinston, N.C., for development and at-sea demonstration of unmanned surface vessel autonomous algorithms for submarine tracking and Rules of the Road compliance; and Sonalysts, based in Waterbury, Conn., for development of an exploratory crowd-sourced tactics simulator.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

DARPA Pushes Out The Robo-Boat

Posted by Bill Sweetman at 1/5/2011 10:43 AM CST

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has kicked off the first industry phase of its Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) project, aimed at demonstrating a fast, long-endurance unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to stalk modern, ultra-quiet non-nuclear submarines.

Contracts for the design of the ACTUV system have gone to Northrop Grumman, SAIC and QinetiQ. Washington Applied Physics Laboratory in Seattle will work on the vessel's sonar, and Spatial Integrated Systems will work on tracking and collision avoidance algorithms. (A key goal is to ensure that the vessel will not present a hazard to other ships.) The first phase will allow DARPA to develop a specification that will be the basis for a competition to design, build and demonstrate a prototype.

ASW specialists used to say "If you can't hear anything, it's a diesel-electric or a British nuke", but it is the diesel-electric submarines, enhanced with air-independent propulsion, which have been giving the US Navy nightmares for the past decade.

DE submarines running on batteries are extremely hard to detect, AIP allows them to run far longer and faster without using snorkels, and high-definition electro-optical sensors mean that their masts can pop up, perform a scan and submerge while the crew analyzes the scene.

The goal of ACTUV is to create a vehicle that can transit 3000 km from its base or a mother ship, loiter for 30 days and then perform a 30-day mission trailing a submarine. What it is not intended to do is search for a submarine. "It relies on our hunters to hunt and find the submarine, but frees them from being tied down in asset-intensive continuous trail," notes a presentation by DARPA program manager Rob McHenry.

The same presentation shows a design that emerged from an earlier DARPA program, the Unmanned Naval Vessel (UNV): a 157-ton, 63-foot-long craft with combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion, electric final drive, and a fully submerged hull with a combined mast for sensors, communications and intake/uptake passages. Dash speed would be up to 27 knots.

The DARPA plan currently calls for a downselect to a single prime contractor this summer, following the current phase. An 18-month system design and risk reduction phase would lead to a critical design review at the end of FY2012, followed by an 18-month construction program and a six-month demonstration. The idea is that the prototype can be quickly transitioned into an operational system.

[buglerbilly]

Muscular ten pack powers new ROV into top spot

March 16, 2011



Packed with ten powerful thrusters and with the capacity to carry a seven-function position feedback manipulator and five-function rate manipulator, the new Saab Seaeye Panther XT Plus has quickly become a top seller with four systems sold for delivery this year.

With 50% more power, and swimming 30% faster, operators value the ability of the new Panther to hold steady in strong shallow-water currents, making it ideal for a range of work and survey tasks. Although rated to 1500m water depth, the application of the Panther XT Plus in high current shallow water locations is creating the main interest from customers who wish to have more capability in these more difficult areas of operation.

To speed the completion of complex tasks, operators also value the heavy duty power and precise control coming from the introduction of industry standard seven-function position feedback manipulators which was not possible on other versions of Panther.

To accommodate these larger and heavier manipulator arms, and provide additional capability for a greater range of tools and sensors, the vehicle payload has been significantly increased by re-designing the frame and buoyancy of the widely proven Panther concept.

For operators working to a tight deadline or in difficult conditions, having ten thrusters in hand brings peace of mind by offering a reassuringly high degree of redundancy.

Cost savings are a particular attraction to operators, with the Panther XT Plus having the work class capability of a small hydraulic work ROV.

Yet its overall cost of ownership is considerably less, including needing just a quarter of the deck space of an equivalent hydraulic vehicle, and far fewer crew.

All this accounts for the phenomenal success of the new Panther XT Plus, say Saab Seaeye, and why operators have rushed to purchase this latest model in the tried and tested Panther range - and why they are increasingly turning to the new breed of powerful electric work ROVs that can tackle most work tasks including drill support, IRM, survey and even some construction tasks, at much less cost.


Front view of a Panther-XT Plus

Source: Saab

[buglerbilly]

SAR 2011: SARbot keeping rescue teams out of harm's way

April 14, 2011



http://www.seabotix.com/products/sarbot.htm

A tiny, remotely piloted submarine could provide the emergency services with the all-seeing eye they need to find and save people underwater.

Somerset, UK-based Liquavision, working in conjunction with the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, has developed the SARbot, a specialised search and rescue version of the company's Little Benthic Vehicle (LBV), which is now in use with energy companies and military organisations across the world.

SARbot's development began following the death of a teenager in a flooded quarry. None of the emergency services had the equipment or trained personnel to go in and find the victim and it was not until six hours after the emergency services had arrived - and long after any chances of survival - that police divers were able to go into the lake and recover the body 7m beneath the surface.

'All three emergency services attended the scene as well as two air ambulances, but none of them had the equipment to go into the lake, so it appeared they weren't doing anything. As a result there was a lot of bad publicity for the emergency services afterwards,' Duncan Winsbury, a former Derbyshire Fire and Rescue officer, told Shephard's SAR 2011 conference in Bournemouth.

'I was tasked to find a solution. I looked into the possibility of training fire and rescue personnel in diving, but this has its limitations and as I looked into it, the risks outweighed the benefits.'

Winsbury then found out about the LBV and began working with Liquavision to develop a SAR version of the LBV, making changes that would make the system easy to operate in the tough environments the emergency services find themselves operating in. The 17kg machine is powered and controlled through a 150m long tether.

The system is controlled with a 'Playstation-like' controller, with a video feed from a camera located at the front of the SARbot. In zero-visibility, a sonar system allows the operator to navigate in difficult waters.

A mechanical arm on the front of the SARbot allows it to grab on to objects, including bodies, and the power available from its forward thrusters allows the machine to move bodies. The SARbot's tether has been uprated in strength, allowing firefighters to grab it and pull both the SARbot and the body back to shore and safety.

'It's an amazing piece of equipment,' said Winsbury, 'You can operate it all day and it's tough enough to work in a range of conditions – under ice, at night, it can even be thrown into the water. We have had great interest in the SARbot, from the Chinese, the Canadians and even the Polish military who are interested in using the SARbot in diver training.'

Two SARbots were used by the Japanese Self Defence Forces in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami which struck in March.

Tony Osborne, Bournemouth

[buglerbilly]

Hydroid delivers two REMUS 100 AUVs to Norway

May 02, 2011



Hydroid, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, the leading manufacturer of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), announced today that it has delivered two REMUS 100 AUVs to the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN). The REMUS AUVs were procured by the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organization (NDLO) Naval Systems Contracting Division on behalf the RNoN. These REMUS vehicles will further enhance the RNoN mine countermeasure capability.

"We are pleased to be able to collaborate with the Royal Norwegian Navy, which has once again selected REMUS for its shallow water AUV capability," said Graham Lester, Director of Hydroid Europe. "REMUS vehicles have been proven to withstand the harsh conditions associated with Norwegian waters, so these systems are ideal for the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The REMUS 100 is a compact, light-weight, autonomous underwater vehicle designed for operation in coastal environments up to 100 meters in depth. The vehicle can be configured to include a wide variety of standard and/or customer specified sensors and system options to meet unique autonomous mission requirements.

"The REMUS 100 is the US Navy's tool of choice for shallow water mine counter measure operations," said Christopher von Alt, President and one of the co-founders of Hydroid. "The system's technology and versatility is helping to keep humans out of minefields worldwide, and we're confident it's an excellent choice for the Royal Norwegian Navy as well."

Hydroid's REMUS AUVs are modular and may be fitted with a large number of different types of sensors and have been used to aid in hydrographic surveys, harbor security operations, debris field mapping, scientific sampling and mapping, as well as many basic and applied research programs funded by ONR, DARPA and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense. With over 200 vehicles in the field, Hydroid is currently the AUV market leader with systems in use around the world.

Source: Kongsberg Maritime

[buglerbilly]

Subsea 7 completes design, build of first commercial AIV

May 04, 2011



Subsea 7, a global leader in seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services, today announced that it has completed the design and build of the first commercial AIV, a technology which has the potential to revolutionise Life-of-Field projects.

Subsea 7 has an ambitious plan to develop a series of Autonomous Inspection Vehicles (AIV), initially capable of general visual inspection, through to fully capable work-class sized intervention vehicles. A combined project team comprising hardware developers and operational personnel from Subsea 7 and Seebyte, a Scottish based software developer for the autonomous robotics market, has been working together to deliver the first vehicle.

The design and build of the vehicle is complete and successful progress through inwater trialling and commissioning phase is underway. Following completion of extensive in-water testing and capability development, the first commercial AIV is expected to be available in late 2011.

Through the development process, many technical challenges have been overcome, the shape of the vehicle has changed from the original design concept due to the significant work done using the latest Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling to optimise the vehicle’s shape with regard to stability and manoeuvrability, while conserving the onboard power resources.

The vehicle is fully autonomous and can operate for a 24-hour period on a single charge of its lithium-ion batteries, which are housed in pressure vessels within the hull. These batteries have been specifically designed for the vehicle and provide a more cost-effective solution to pressure tolerant batteries, with a lower capital cost and much improved cycle lives.

The sensor package has been developed to cover the requirements of general visual inspection; it comprises the latest sonar technology coupled with high quality video cameras and low power LED lighting.

A significant software integration and development project has been running in parallel with the hardware development and this too has used the most advanced techniques to manage, debug and control the development.

During OTC 2010, a significant amount of interest was generated in the AIV and once again, at OTC 2011, programme managers will be available at Subsea 7’s booth, #2824 in the Reliant Centre, to enable visitors to understand the technology and provide further information on the commercialisation programme.

Neil Milne, Subsea 7’s Vice President - Life-of-Field Services, commented: “We are delighted with the success of the commercialisation programme to date for what represents a significant technological advance in the area of subsea remote inspection and intervention. With the arrival of the AIV, subsea structures such as manifolds, wellheads and risers will be able to be inspected by this tetherless technology, significantly increasing flexibility and efficiencies throughout the life-offield cycle. Following completion of extensive trials and further development over the coming months, we look forward to bringing the first commercial AIV into operations towards the end of 2011.”

Source: Subsea 7

[buglerbilly]

WRONG ferkin thread................

[buglerbilly]

Beastly Drone Sub Is ‘Underwater Predator’

By Spencer Ackerman May 20, 2011 | 7:00 am



TAMPA, Florida — Ross Lindman gently pats the black hull of his intimidating 25-foot aquatic robot. Then he gestures to the bomblets strapped to either side of it. “This,” says the Columbia Group vice president, “is an underwater Predator.”

Lindman isn’t kidding. On one side of the Proteus, the Columbia Group’s experimental submarine, are two 220-pound bomblets. They’re merely for display here at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, but the passersby get the picture.

And that doesn’t remotely approach what the Proteus can carry. Either side of the sub can hold up to 1,600 pounds of cargo.

“You can strap different types of mines and ordnance to it,” Lindman says, 3,200 pounds’ worth. That’s way more firepower than the two Hellfire missiles that fit aboard the Predator, the iconic drone plane that serves as a muse for Lindman’s sub.

All of that is in addition to its potential spying capacity. The 6,200-pound sub can hold up to 400 pounds of gear inside it — a lot of sensors and cameras to find dangers lurking in the briny deep. Or, you can cram commandos inside.

The Proteus is designed to be a somewhat autonomous vehicle: Plug in coordinates for it and watch it go. But it also has a manned function, with enough bay space to stow up to seven Navy SEALs, should they need to be inserted. But don’t keep ‘em in long; there’s not a lot of space for them to get comfortable.

The Proteus is a step in a direction the Navy’s top officer badly wants the seafaring service to travel. Adm. Gary Roughead, the outgoing chief of naval operations, has delivered speech after speech urging engineers to build an “unmanned underwater vehicle” — a robotic sub — capable of traveling thousands of nautical miles for months on end without exposing human submariners to risk. (More on that in a subsequent post.)

Proteus can’t meet Roughead’s lofty goals. It tops out at a range of 324 nautical miles before it needs to refuel, a task that will last it 92 hours. It can’t go faster than 10 knots, and the Columbia Group anticipates it’ll most likely travel between 3 and 5 knots.

But it’s a step toward a bigger unmanned sub that’s weaponized — the current ones commandos use are about the size of a torpedo. Roughead considers weaponized UUVs to be an inevitability. Conceivably, the robot subs of the future will carry weapons like torpedos to disable mines. Or, they’ll be weapons themselves, hurtling like mechanized kamikazes at a target.

The Proteus takes the first approach. Lindman imagines it strapped with a bevy of different weapons, like the MK67 Submarine Launched Mobile Mine or the MK-54 torpedo. Or it could carry the Sea Fox, itself another robot, designed to blow up mines with a shaped charge.

Gesturing to the weapons bay, Lindman says, “I can carry other vehicles” on the Proteus — even suicidal ones like the Sea Fox.

That’s if it works. Proteus won’t go into the water until the summer, near Columbia Group’s home of Panama City, Florida. The military hasn’t invested a dime into the thing’s development. But if the sub can make it out of development doing as much as Lindman envisions, the seas will be stalked by a new robotic predator.

Photo: Spencer Ackerman

[buglerbilly]

Teledyne begins production on unmanned LBS-G underwater vehicle programme for US Navy

July 12, 2011





Teledyne Technologies Incorporated announced today that its subsidiary, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., in Huntsville, Ala., received approval from the U.S. Navy to move into Full Rate Production (FRP) Phase on the Littoral Battlespace Sensing-Glider (LBS-G) Program. This is the first ocean glider FRP decision ever made in the history of the Navy. Teledyne Brown will provide the Navy with a fleet of 150 marine gliders for a total contract value of $53.1 million if all options are exercised.

Under the contract with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Teledyne Brown recently delivered 15 Low Rate Initial Production Gliders to the Navy's Program Executive Office for C4I. The LBS-G gliders were developed and are manufactured by Teledyne Webb Research in East Falmouth, Mass. The first Full Rate Production option calls for the manufacture of 35 gliders with additional options for 100 more gliders. The Teledyne Team, which includes Teledyne Brown (System Integration), Teledyne Webb Research (Glider Development and Production), and the University of Washington - Applied Physics Lab (Glider Operations Center software) finished the design and development phase of the contract in August of last year and received the Low Rate Production contract in December of 2010.

"We are very pleased to have Teledyne's glider selected by the U.S. Navy for full rate production in the Littoral Battlespace program," said Robert Mehrabian, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Teledyne Technologies. "This decision validates our reliable and affordable design and reinforces our corporate strategy to integrate our technologies across the company onto platforms such as the glider."

The Navy plans to use the fleet of deep and shallow water gliders with their relative low cost, minimal power usage and longevity at sea to acquire critical oceanographic data to improve positioning of fleets during naval maneuvers. The Teledyne Webb Research Slocum Glider is the cornerstone of the LBS-G program. The Slocum Glider is a torpedo-shaped unmanned underwater vehicle that measures approximately two meters in length and uses changes in buoyancy along with its wings and tail-fin steering to move through the water.





Source: Teledyne Technologies

[buglerbilly]

70 Days at Sea for New Navy Robot Subs

By Adam Rawnsley August 8, 2011 | 12:00 pm



The U.S. military wants an underwater robot that’s strong enough to stay at sea for months, and smart enough to avoid any obstacles it might find along the way.

The American Navy has hundreds of manned ships and subs, of course. But it’s a big ocean out there: they can’t be everywhere at once. So the sea service is looking to unmanned vehicles as a way to keep its maritime dominance in the years to come.

The Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) program, recently introduced by the Office of Naval Research, is the military’s attempt to build a prototype of that machine. If the Navy can pack up such a drone with sensors and send it out into the sea for long periods of time, they can push “Navy platform sensing capability over the horizon and extend its influence,” the Office of Naval Research notes in its call for proposals.

Outgoing Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead, has been a big backer of sub bots. He told Danger Room in November that the Navy wants Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) that can stay out longer. “I need something I can keep out for weeks, that can move in strong ocean currents, that can close distances quickly,” Roughead said. ONR aims to push its underwater drone endurance even further than that and “extend the current capability of these vehicles from tens of hours to operability of the system for weeks to months,” according to the recent announcement.

There’s already some long endurance undersea drone technology in the form of ocean gliders (.pdf). These vessels use changes in buoyancy to power themselves over long periods. It makes them particularly handy for scientists, who often use the gliders to collect environmental data. Gliding, however, can be slow-going. The LDUUV, by contrast, will be a propelled craft.

ONR has outlined a challenging course for the pier-launched LDUUV prototype’s undersea tests. It needs to stay out for more than two months (over 70 days) and “reach 40 prescribed waypoints within 5 hours of the approved plan and 50 [meters] of each waypoint.” To keep it swimming around that long, ONR is looking for “power reduction technologies” that can cut down on the “power of core system while maintaining the current capability.”

When LDUUV hits the water for testing, it’ll be left mostly to its own devices to maneuver. So ONR is asking developers to give it a leg up against underwater hazards with autonomy software and sensors that can detect and avoid different maritime obstacles. By the end of its second phase of testing, LDUUV’s autonomy gear will have to find 99.9 percent of any vessels within a two nautical mile radius, figure out what kind of craft it is (military, fishing, recreational) and adjust its movement accordingly.

Ships aren’t the only trouble LDUUV can run into. In the area close to the shorelines, it’s likely to come across fishing nets. Those can be hard to spot, particularly if they’re “mono-filament and twine nets.” The last thing the Navy wants is a fishing net full of high tech drones, so ONR is looking for software and algorithms that can spot an array of net types and help LDUUV wiggle away if it gets caught in one.

Photo: DVIDSHUB

[buglerbilly]

Boeing tests submarine drone off Santa Catalina Island

The 18-foot mini-sub made at the company's defense systems facility in Anaheim could be used for national defense and environmental protection.

By W.J. Hennigan, Los Angeles Times

August 19, 2011, 4:11 p.m.

Video here: http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/5af4bbbd-2e65-4cc0-839b-269674cf5a09/Business/This-drone-doesn-t-fly-it-swims

An 18-foot, bright-yellow submarine drone is being tested off the coast of Santa Catalina Island for possible use by the U.S. military to stalk enemy waters, patrol local harbors for national security threats and scour ocean floors to detect environmental hazards.

Although robotic aircraft already play a critical role in modern warfare, taking out insurgents with missile strikes in the skies above Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, the same robotic revolution hasn't taken place in the world's oceans.

Submarine drones have had limited use in ocean exploration, but Boeing Co. hopes to forge a much more sweeping role in national defense and environmental protection, said Mark Kosko, program director for the company's Unmanned Underwater Systems division.

"We're at the point that we can take this show on the road," he said. "This is a technology that can now move beyond the test role into a more meaningful role."

The mini-sub was made at Boeing's defense systems facility in Anaheim.

The unmanned sub can withstand the crushing pressures of the deep ocean, diving to depths of 10,000 feet to glide above the seabed, dodging craggy mountains on its own. Engineers can envision a day when the vehicle is equipped with long-range torpedoes and sent on covert missions that last for months.

Boeing built the robotic submarine, dubbed Echo Ranger, in 2001 to capture high-resolution sonar images of underwater sea beds for the oil and gas industry. But now the company believes it has evolved the sub's onboard computers into a sophisticated system that will usher in a new era of unmanned submersibles.

The Echo Ranger program is not funded by the Navy, rather the endeavor is funded entirely by Boeing itself. The company would not disclose how much it has poured into research and design of the submarine.

Kosko did say the program benefited heavily from lessons learned during a five-year, $100-million contract in which Boeing developed a clandestine mine reconnaissance system for the Navy.

"It has been a long road," Kosko said. "But this is the future."

Boeing first tested the sub in its 1-million-gallon test pool at its Anaheim facility that was the birthplace of the guidance systems for the world's first nuclear submarine and developed components for the manned space program.

Boeing is moving from the facility, which boasted 36,000 workers at its Cold War peak, to its growing complex in Huntington Beach.

The Echo Ranger ran some missions capturing high-resolution sonar images of sea beds for oil and gas companies including Exxon Mobil Corp. It is now running tests off Catalina Island at USC's Wrigley Marine Science Center.

Kosko hopes that it won't be long before its running missions for the Navy.

"It's ready to be sent in harm's way," he said.

The Navy has a number of aerial drone programs in the works, including its carrier-launched, bat-winged X-47B drone and MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, both made by Northrop Grumman Corp. They also have used robotic mine sweepers, such as Boeing's mine reconnaissance system.

But the chief of naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, said in a speech on Friday that submarine drones will be vital to future battles and reconnaissance missions.

"Unmanned systems will play an even larger, more critical, and more crucial role in the years ahead, particularly in contested environments," he said. "Few times in history have we been presented with a technological opportunity in the way we are today."

He characterized unmanned systems as a "game-changer," technology that is cheaper and safer for sailors than current technology.

"We in the Navy have reimagined our future," Roughead said.

Technology, however, is still catching up to that vision.

Unlike aerial drones, which rely on GPS data for guidance and location, submarines plummeting the depths of the ocean cannot receive satellite signals. For this reason, a robotic submarine needs to have complete autonomy and "smarts" to know where it is and where it is going.

The autonomy issue is of particular concern if the robots are to be armed one day. Roughead recently ordered Navy lawyers to examine the legal and ethical issues of unmanned systems in warfare.

Along with the technological and ethical hurdles, robotic submarines also face bureaucratic head winds among some Navy brass, said defense expert Peter W. Singer, author of "Wired for War," a book about robotic warfare.

"It takes a lot to change the mind set of military officials," he said. "With aerial drones, it was a little easier to convince the brass because troops were losing their lives in roadside bomb attacks. They realized there was an immediate need for the technology.

"We're not engaging in undersea combat," he said. "That need isn't as clear."

Current concerns about the size of the federal deficit may increase interest in the cheaper submarine drones, he said. Today's class of nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarines cost $2.8 billion a piece, according to the latest Government Accountability Office report. Drone subs will cost a fraction of that, Singer said.

"The same benefits apply to underwater drones as they do to aerial drones: It saves lives and money," he said. "Just like what happened in the air, it's bound to happen beneath the sea."

william.hennigan@latimes.com

[buglerbilly]

Flying Saucers of the Sea

(Source: NATO; issued Sept. 30, 2011)



It might look like a flying saucer, but the metal disk sitting in the water could prove to be a step forward in protecting the environment as well as civilian or military assets under the sea. The small craft, known as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), is used to carry specialised sonar equipment in a NATO-led research project that is the first of its kind.

Scientists at NATO’s Undersea Research Centre (NURC), based in La Spezia, Italy, have been working with private oil companies and partners to develop this sonar technology in the hope that it can be used to prevent underwater leaks as well as protect ports and military assets from mines. The AUV is used to drive the InSAS (Interferometric Synthetic Sonar Aperture) equipment around underwater for days at a time, capturing environmental information from prototype sensors placed at intervals on the seabed.

Images taken over weeks, months and even years allow the scientists to measure and detect the minutest of changes in the marine environment. These changes could be due to landslides, erosion, fishing, oil/gas extraction or even hostile activities such as terrorist attacks.

“It can therefore be used for commercial application – such as oil, gas and environmental protection – and military applications including port and asset protection, detection of mines and marine improvised explosive devices,” explains Edoardo Bovio, NURC Business Development Manager.

Capturing the marine environment

“The project addresses the long-term monitoring of the seafloor in shallow waters in order to detect possible bathymetric changes – changes to the depth of the ocean floor – along a time line,” says Bovio.

The special sonar capturing equipment known as “InSAS” (Interfermoetric Synthetic Sonar Aperture), can process both high-resolution spatial images as well as accurately estimating bathymetry by using special reflectors placed on the seabed. Testing of the InSAS equipment has been taking place since 2008 in Italy in a Cinque Terre marine park. The rugged coastline is protected from fishing activities which could disturb measurements.

“The AUV travels in the water along predetermined tracks transmitting low power acoustic signals at high frequency so that it does not affect marine life,” explains Bovio who joined the NURC in 1980 after graduating and working as an electrical engineer. “Due to the extremely accurate navigation of the vehicle, it is possible to repeat the measurement at fixed time intervals (weeks, months, years) and co-register the images in order to detect any modification to the environment.”

Innovative design

The reflectors designed by the NURC team are shaped like cones so that they can be seen on sonar imaging from all directions when placed on the ocean floor. Although the 20-strong project team suffered initial problems with wire corrosion as well as deployment and recovery of the reflectors, the new cone reflectors have since provided detailed and accurate readings of their surroundings. This is the first time the seabed has been mapped and monitored in this way.

The success of the project, which was funded by a major oil company, means the work of the NURC will continue to be at the global forefront of undersea research. “The InSAS project was an excellent occasion for NURC to emphasize and make more profound its core competences in at-sea-operations, AUV operations for acoustic measurements, SAS and InSAS acoustic data processing and design of sonar reflectors with specific characteristics,” says Bovio. “This ability is quite unique and is applicable to many civilian fields as well as military.”

Science and technology at NATO

The NURC is one of NATO’s Science & Technology bodies, in which scientists and engineers from nations across the Alliance and its partners come together to work on solutions for NATO’s most pressing current and future maritime capability requirements.

“This capability has adapted regularly to changing requirements and new technologies such that the Centre currently is focused in robotics and multi-autonomous platform behaviors in the maritime environment and their application to maritime warfare areas, abilities that have relevance in all domains,” explains the NURC Director, Dr Dirk Tielbuerger.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Japan Coast Guard Orders ISE Explorer AUV

(Source: International Submarine Engineering Ltd.; issued Dec. 2, 2011)



PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia --- International Submarine Engineering Ltd. is pleased to announce that the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has placed an order for an Explorer autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The vehicle will be used for marine search and recovery as well as survey operations.

The JCG Explorer will also be supplied with a light-weight self-articulating ramp based launch and recovery system which will be installed on one of their ships. This will enable the Coast Guard to launch and recover their AUV in an elevated sea state. The launch and recovery ramp system is built by Hawboldt Industries of Chester, Nova Scotia.

ISE has partnered with Fukada Salvage and Marine Works Co. Ltd. of Osaka for the provision of local operations and maintenance support for the JCG Explorer AUV. ISE and Fukada Salvage have a long relationship; earlier in 2011 Fukada purchased an Explorer AUV for their own survey operations.

ISE was formed in 1974 to design and build underwater vehicles. Based just outside Vancouver, Canada, ISE has delivered more than 230 vehicle systems and 400 robotic manipulators to more than 20 countries around the world.

The Explorer family of AUVs was introduced in 2003 and follows previous ISE AUVs including ARCS and Theseus. Explorer is a modular vehicle that can be configured for commercial, scientific or military customers. It can carry a wide range of sensors and has endurance options ranging from 12 to 85 hours.

It has developed a reputation as a reliable, stable and flexible sensor platform and in total, ISE AUVs have completed more than 120,000 kilometres of surveys.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Pentagon Contract Announcement

(Source: U.S Department of Defense; issued December 16, 2011)



Lockheed Martin Corp., Riviera Beach, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $52,741,962 cost-plus-incentive-fee letter contract for the accomplishment of the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle Reliability Growth Program (RMMV RGP).

The purpose of this RMMV RGP effort is to improve the mean time between operational mission failures of the RMMV.

The contract will require a comprehensive development and test program that supports the RMMV RGP.

Testing shall be conducted to verify the system complies with RMMV system requirements and is prepared for installation on and operations from the littoral combat ship in preparation for developmental test/operational assessment program testing.

The RMMV RGP systems engineering effort includes:

- critical systems reviews and subsequent design reviews,
- use of predictive reliability tools;
- build spiral development with in-water testing to assess progress and potential areas for reliability growth development;
- installation of RMMV reliability upgrades; and
- all ancillary support.

Work will be performed in Palm Beach, Fla. (91.4 percent); Syracuse, N.Y. (8.4 percent); and Manassas, Va. (0.2 percent). Work is expected to be completed by December 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and is being awarded as a sole source contract pursuant to 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1) was determined to be appropriate.

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-12-C-6316).

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Lockheed Martin RMMV reaches testing milestone

19 December 2011 - 17:09 by the Shephard News Team



Lockheed Martin has announced that it has reached a critical milestone in the testing programme for the US Navy's Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV), having recently completed 500 hours of reliability testing. The system is being developed to provide mine reconnaissance capabilities to the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

RMMV is an unmanned, semi-submersible, semi-autonomous vehicle that tows a variable-depth sensor that can detect and identify undersea threats. The testing, completed ahead of schedule, was conducted offshore near Palm Beach, Fla., and concludes the first of three planned development and testing cycles aimed to improve system reliability and operational availability for the Remote Minehunting System (RMS).

RMS is composed of the RMMV, its launch-and-retrieval system, the RMMV-towed sonar sensor and advanced communications equipment and software. This latest test milestone marks the system’s progress towards operational use onboard the LCS.

[buglerbilly]

Hydroid to upgrade UK MOD REMUS AUVs

11 January 2012 - 15:50 by the Shephard News Team



Hydroid has announced that it will upgrade the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s) REMUS 100 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) as part of a newly awarded contract. The work will be performed on the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) mine clearance hyrdrographic vehicles to enhance operational capabilities.

Under the contract Hydroid will integrate BlueView Technologies 3D MicroBathymetry systems and GeoAcoustics GeoSwath interferrometric sonar with the REMUS 100; as well as fitting modular endcaps and digital ultra-short baseline (USBL) acoustic positioning systems. Some of the fleet’s twelve REMUS 100 vehicles will be equipped with Inertial Navigation Systems as well.

The REMUS 100 is modular and may be fitted with a large number of different types of sensors to meet the customer’s needs. In this case, the BlueView systems will provide high resolution 2D and 3D imagery in the region directly below the AUV – an area that often has a coverage gap which requires overlapping passes in order to cover the survey region. The 3D MicroBathymetry will fill that gap and eliminate the need for any overlapping passes.

According to the company, GeoSwath interferometric sonar will allow for unprecedented rapid survey coverage in shallow waters. Interferometric sonar (IFMS) is an emergent technology that provides significant advantages in shoal areas where Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) use is not feasible or of too low a resolution to be useful. IFMS systems accurately measure depths at precise locations on the seafloor using exactly spaced phase differencing transducer elements.

The Ministry of Defence’s current fleet of REMUS 100 vehicles has been in operation since March 2006. The Royal Navy also employs several REMUS 600 vehicles, which play a primary role in mine reconnaissance and also conduct hydrographic surveys and environmental assessments. The combined vehicles have provided reliable and proven capabilities for the Royal Navy’s underwater search and survey operations.

[buglerbilly]

Hydroid Launches New AUV: The REMUS 100-S



A Remus 100 AUV. (Photo: Kongsberg Maritime)

15:21 GMT, February 21, 2012 Pocasset, Massachusetts, USA | Hydroid, Inc., a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime and the leading manufacturer of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), introduced today its new AUV, the REMUS 100-S. The 100-S is an evolution of the highly successful, man portable REMUS 100 system configured specifically for hydrographic and offshore surveys.

"Hydroid is pleased to launch the next generation in AUV technology," said Christopher von Alt, President and co-founder of Hydroid. "The REMUS 100-S showcases many brand new features developed at Hydroid or our partner companies and demonstrates the modular versatility of REMUS AUVs in adapting to different specialties."

The REMUS 100-S features the Kongsberg Inertial Navigation System, which includes a Honeywell Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), the NavP navigation processing suite, and a payload processor, which is used to initialize and control all sensors. The 100-S also features a brand new Vx Works Operating System, updated version 7.0 of VIP software, a field-replaceable antenna, a precision GPS sensor and 1 GBit Ethernet, allowing users to download data at high speeds.

The REMUS 100-S is compatible with industry standard post-processing software packages including KONGSBERG's Reflection and NavLab. Reflection is available to process data from the vehicle's core module, side scan sonar and GeoSwath interferometric sonar. NavLab is used with NavP to post-process navigation data to deliver higher accuracy position data. To differentiate the 100-S from the standard REMUS 100, the entire body of the AUV is painted yellow.

[buglerbilly]

Bluefin, Battelle, and the Columbia Group Investing to Propel Proteus Vehicle Into the Seas

(Source: Bluefin Robotics; issued Feb. 21, 2012)



QUINCY, MA --- Bluefin Robotics, a subsidiary of Battelle, is joining with The Columbia Group to invest in the next generation large submersible vehicle.

Bluefin is a leader in design and manufacture of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and related technology. Battelle has a long history of meeting the technology needs of the U.S. Navy including work on the Advanced SEAL Delivery System. The Columbia Group has provided the U.S. and foreign navies with Swimmer Delivery Vehicles for more than 20 years.

The Columbia Group currently is developing the hull mechanical and electrical systems for the large Dual Mode Undersea Vehicle, capable of operation in either manned or autonomous modes. Called Proteus, it will be advanced by incorporating Bluefin's autonomy technology for use in unmanned missions. Bluefin is also supplying mission planning capabilities and the power solution. Battelle is providing battery charging and systems integration support. Developers plan to hold an at-sea demonstration in the spring.

The Navy has persistently outlined the need for industry to develop next-generation UUVs with increased mission time, range and payload capacity.

"Our team has overlapping competencies, proven products and ongoing efforts that will benefit this development," said David P. Kelly, President and CEO of Bluefin Robotics. "By combining the strengths of our organizations, we can field a vehicle that will meet the Navy's needs and take UUV capabilities to the next level."

Dubbed a "beastly drone" by _Wired Magazine _last year, the vehicle is 25-feet long, weighs 6,200 pounds and has up to 400 pounds of lift capability. It is capable of operating unmanned or manned.

"The Columbia Group has a strong history of developing and manufacturing both manned and unmanned undersea vehicles for military customers around the world," said Ross Lindman, Senior Vice President for the Columbia Group's Engineering Solutions Division. "Working with Battelle and Bluefin only strengthens our ability to build this specialized craft for our Navy customers."

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

As the world's largest independent research organization Battelle provides innovative solutions to the world's most pressing needs through its four global businesses. It conducts $6.5 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 22,000 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide.

The Columbia Group's Engineering Solutions Division is a design and development organization that specializes in military undersea vehicles, diving systems, and shipboard launch and recovery systems for the Navy, as well as ground robotics for the Marine Corps. The Columbia Group has a total employment of over 1100 employees serving all five branches of the military in locations throughout the United States. It is headquartered at 20 M Street, Washington, DC.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

REMUS AUVs – “It Comes Down to Reliability and Availability”


Royal Navy personnel deploy a REMUS 100 AUV. (Photo: Royal Navy)

Interview with Christopher von Alt, President and CEO of Hydroid, Inc.

06:39 GMT, March 13, 2012 defpro.com | When a ship crew slips a small yellow and black painted vessel into the water, it is usually a so-called autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), preparing to go on its mission into the remote and harsh environment of the deep sea. There it silently conducts its pre-programmed tasks and, after hours, surfaces with a large amount of gathered data. While robotics continuously advance into almost all fields of defence and security operations, AUVs have been among the first systems to operate at the highest degree of autonomy, requiring a significant amount of faith by their operators. However, the systems have proven their worth in demanding scenarios, such as mine-countermeasures (MCM) and debris field mapping in the search for aircraft that crashed into the sea.

Nicolas von Kospoth of defpro.com talked to Christopher von Alt*, President and CEO of Hydroid, Inc., about the company’s commitment to providing the necessary reliability and availability to build and sustain this vital trust among the users of Hydroid AUVs. Read the interview published below to learn more about Hydroid’s wide range of activities, its role as a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, as well as trends in the AUV market.


defpro.com: Mr von Alt, could you please give our readers a brief overview of Hydroid, as well as its range of products and services?

Chris von Alt: Hydroid has revolutionised marine and ocean exploration by developing a line of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) called REMUS. They are used to replace the traditional ways of conducting mine-countermeasures (MCM) and hydrographic survey operations by manned surface vessels. We are a leader in the industry and have seen steady growth since 2001 when Hydroid came into being in the commercial market place.

There are currently three primary product lines. First, there is the REMUS 100, which is a man-portable system providing great logistic advantages to its users. Next there is the REMUS 600, a 500-pound vehicle that has been designed to operate to depths of up to 600 meters. It provides greater endurance and capability to support more advanced sensors that require larger apertures. Finally, with the REMUS 6000, we offer an AUV that operates in the deep ocean to 6,000 meters.


defpro.com: What is the approximate share of defence activities in Hydroid’s overall portfolio?

Chris von Alt: Approximately 60 to 70 per cent of our business is related to defence. However, this can vary from year to year, depending on the order situation. It also quite well reflects the share in the AUV industry as a whole. Although the commercial segment is there, it is not as strong, due to the limited numbers required by civilian operators and the high costs involved.


defpro.com: In January, Hydroid celebrated its 10th anniversary. How did the AUV market evolve since the company’s early years, and what role has this development played in the merger with Norway-based Kongsberg Maritime?

Chris von Alt: In 2001, there wasn’t much of a commercial marketplace, if you want to define that as one group buying what another one sells. At that time, for the most part, academic groups were developing vehicles and were selling very limited numbers. Prior to that, in the period from 1989 to 2001, I was leading the Oceanographic Systems Lab within the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) where we developed the family of REMUS vehicles and delivered 17 systems, predominantly to academic institutes.

Since 2001, we have witnessed a six-fold increase in the number of systems sold per year. Hydroid has delivered more than 230 AUVs to domestic and international customers since it was founded in 2001, with an annual average of approximately 23 vehicles.

Although the general opinion is that there are many opportunities in robotics, the acquisition of Hydroid by Kongsberg Maritime in 2008 is not directly related to the marketplace of that period. Both Hydroid and Kongsberg Maritime have very customer-centred approaches and share the same values. Hydroid’s record of producing reliable systems with a high availability supports Kongsberg’s commitment to remain a leader in this industry and to provide customers with capabilities they cannot get anywhere else. We felt that the two teams would be stronger together.


defpro.com: To what extent does this constellation provide synergies to increase your range of solutions and enhance your market approach?

Chris von Alt: As a United States contractor, we operate independently of the Kongsberg Group, under a Special Security Agreement with the Defense Security Services. At the same time, and while acting within the laws of international arms transfers, we work very closely with Kongsberg Maritime. Our commitment is to provide the best AUV systems to all civilian and defence market places. We are well situated and the leading AUV manufacturer in the world market, which made us attractive to Kongsberg Maritime.

REMUS was invented from one perspective, while Kongsberg’s HUGIN AUV was invented from another perspective, both by very talented groups of people. Together we take the best aspects of those two systems and harmonise them to enhance both, offering our customers the best AUVs in the world. Based on our combined resources, we will offer even better products in the future.


defpro.com: The AUV market is rapidly growing, and industrial capabilities, as well as know-how among competitors, are increasing globally. How is Hydroid positioning itself and its products to meet the challenges of this market?

Chris von Alt: Currently, the Hydroid team consists of 90 people who continuously strive to offer the highest level of product quality, support, and innovation. The only way to ensure this is to hire the best people that you can find. I can’t say enough about the contributions of our employees. They are smart, capable, and efficient, and are highly tuned to the needs of our customers. With the commitment of our team, we ensure the high reliability of our products, as well as the quality of our service.


defpro.com: Which capabilities do the AUVs of the REMUS family provide to their operators, and which different sensor payloads are being used for these purposes?

Chris von Alt: The REMUS AUVs are typically used by operators from the defence and the gas and oil sectors for mine-countermeasures (MCM), hydrographic surveys, as well as search and survey operations at depths from three metres to 6,000 metres.

The vehicles are typically configured with an advanced GPS-aided inertial navigation system and a Doppler velocity log that can also be supported by long baseline navigation. Among the significant technical advancements that are coming at us in the field of navigation are terrain-relative and single transponder navigation.

The REMUS vehicles are usually equipped with side scan sonar as well as a forward-looking sonar that helps to smooth the vehicle’s flight over rough terrain. The larger vehicles can also be fitted with a multi-depth sonar. Conductivity and temperature sensors, as well as a range of different environmental sensors, further complement the sensor technology that can be installed on REMUS AUVs.

Finally, the vehicles offer a host of capabilities that are embedded in their software, including the very important autonomy capabilities.


defpro.com: Is Hydroid working together with specialised industrial partners and sub-suppliers to develop the sensor technology, or are these exclusively in-house efforts? What role did academic and other collaborative research efforts play in the development of these systems?

Chris von Alt: Hydroid teams with a number of industrial and academic partners. We recognise that the real strength comes from the benefits of working with other people in the industry and in the research and academic fields. This enables us to come up with solutions that meet our customers’ needs at the best price and as quickly as possible. To accomplish that, we utilize an open system architecture, permitting users to further enhance the capabilities of the systems themselves.

Furthermore, we maintain a very strong link to academic institutions, and many of our customers come from that field. REMUS was originally developed at WHOI with a lot of support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and HUGIN was developed in cooperation with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and Statoil. We truly appreciate working with these people; they have played a strong role in the development of the systems and will continue to do so. Working with observationally-based institutions such as WHOI and FFI, where brilliant, innovative people have experience deploying first-generation systems at sea, enables us to stay in the forefront.


defpro.com: The multi-national military operation in Libya has clearly revealed the requirement of modern navies to operate in unknown littoral waters and even to counter attempts to mine ports and sea lanes, such as observed in Misrata. How do you assess the importance and the need for AUVs in today’s military operations, and in what way do the solutions offered by Hydroid meet these requirements?

Chris von Alt: When you are working in the defence industry, it just comes down to the reliability and availability of the systems you produce; if you have a system that works, then they will use it. AUVs are very important for navies because they gather information while keeping troops out of harm’s way, in particular in mine-countermeasure operations.

We have proven with many of our naval customers throughout the world that the systems we produce are reliable. There is growing momentum in the understanding that Hydroid’s AUV solutions will perform successfully in the field and that operators can count on them to obtain the required information and bring it back in a timely manner to support decision-making. That is what makes our systems so important. Therefore, our focus remains on offering this level of reliability and availability.


defpro.com: In 2011, Hydroid announced that it passed Critical Design Review (CDR) to provide Littoral Battlespace Sensing (LBS) AUVs and associated technologies to the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). What is the current status, and what is the future schedule for this prestigious programme?

Chris von Alt: We recently completed the test readiness review and are now in the midst of developmental testing and evaluation (DT&E), after having delivered the first prototype system. Milestone C for the programme is planned for April/May 2012. We are on schedule and on budget and are demonstrating that the systems meet or exceed all key performance parameters.

What makes this programme a little bit different from others is that it is a US Navy programme of record, rather than a User Operational Evaluation System (UOES) programme. UOES programmes offer a much closer working relationship in development with the Fleet, allowing us to gain more experience about how they would use the system and shape specifications. It has been a very powerful way of developing and integrating this new technology, and we have been lucky to have been part of many programmes of that nature. Both types of programmes have their advantages.


defpro.com: Hydroid recently delivered a REMUS 6000 for WHOI, which will use it in close cooperation with the U.S. Navy. Could you please describe the deep ocean capabilities of the REMUS 6000?

Chris von Alt: Eight REMUS 6000 systems have been delivered so far, including one to the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, where it is used extensively for deep ocean research.

Another quite prominent example of the use of these systems was the Air France Flight 447 recovery operation in the Atlantic Ocean. The search for the wreckage of the aircraft was conducted by WHOI, using three REMUS 6000 AUVs operating simultaneously off of one ship at depths of more than 3,500 metres. The systems helped to locate the wreckage in quite mountainous undersea terrain and documented the debris field, so that a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) could carry out the recovery work.

The combined use of these three vehicles made a dramatic difference, enabling a very small team to benefit from a manifold level of effectiveness that a traditional single surface vessel could not have offered.

The example of the search for the wreckage of Flight 447 has shown that future AUV operations will involve multiple vehicles, working together autonomously, with limited groups of people, greatly increasing their ability to gather information in the ocean. You can transition that example, and the larger statement that is reflected by the systems’ performance, into MCM operations of the future.


defpro.com: Taking a look at the bigger picture in the market: Are the sale numbers of AUVs being affected by ongoing defence budget issues, or would you rather say that AUVs brave the general trends?

Chris von Alt: There are many ways of looking at the current development in budget discussions. Certainly, there are budget constraints throughout the world, and we are watching closely to see how this plays out.

There is a growing faith in the reliability and capabilities of AUVs, and navies are increasingly investing in these systems. They offer a more cost-effective way to conduct mine-countermeasure operations and harbour-defence support functions than the traditional approaches, such as re-outfitting an MCM vessel with a new sonar system. Despite a certain downturn in budgetary numbers, opportunities are increasing for the use of these systems. The austerity budgets may, indeed, push some countries to consider moving more in this cost-effective direction.

Nevertheless, it remains a matter of faith for operators to put an expensive piece of equipment into the water and let it go, expecting it to come back with the required information. It takes a long time to earn this level of trust. In contrast to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are in constant communication with the operator on the ground, an AUV carries out its mission in a fully autonomous way. After it has been programmed, you may, perhaps, follow its trajectory, but you do not normally actively control it while it is doing its work. On the other hand, the advantage of this mode of operation is that you can send the vehicles on their missions while being free to do something else, without the necessity of constant supervision.

Making the leap, in the sense of having an asset of this importance doing a mission by itself and trusting that it can be done successfully, is still a realisation that is emerging among many potential users. The people who use the AUVs see the advantages, but they also have to go back into the budget conferences and convince the decision-makers to allocate money to those areas.


defpro.com: Due to the quite specialised capabilities of AUVs, do you perceive a possible trend of outsourcing such capabilities to specialised institutions or companies?

Chris von Alt: REMUS was originally designed to be operated by somebody with a high school education and only five days of training. It does not necessarily take a great deal of specialised skills to use these systems. However, being creative with them and running them in bizarre and tough environments, while exploiting their full capabilities, will require more know-how and experience. To date, we haven’t seen a trend of outsourcing AUV capabilities. The naval users want to have these capabilities among their assets.


defpro.com: How does Hydroid specifically support its military customers with integrating the systems into their units and adequately training the operators?

Chris von Alt: Typically, what has been very effective in the past is to integrate future users into the factory acceptance testing.

When these systems were first introduced to navies, we tried to build up the knowledge and understanding of how the system works and to create confidence in its capabilities among future users. We would work with a customer team during the acceptance period and teach them early-on how to work with the system. This would also include time in a classroom, acquiring the basic understanding of programming a vehicle, as well as practical operations at sea.

Mission planning and mission analysis are the most important aspects of training, including learning to understand and interpret the sonar. We offer courses that can be provided specifically to the user in accordance with their individual specifications, generic courses that are attended by a maximum of five people, as well as open enrolment classes using a virtual environment for the entire range of products, configured with different sensors. This allows the student to programme the vehicle, watch how the mission is being executed and then download and analyse the data in a simulated environment.


defpro.com: As our last question, we would like to ask what your personal visions and aims are for the future of Hydroid.

Chris von Alt: AUVs operate in the harshest environments on earth, they are unmanned, and they are expensive. It’s akin to sending a pre-programmed, unmanned probe into outer space, except that there is not the same budget for AUVs. Therefore, in our industry, reliability is the key factor. Our vision is to make the systems that we produce more and more reliable. That is what we have demonstrated in the past, and we are seeing a greater and wider acceptance for these systems as a result of these efforts.


defpro.com: Thank you very much, Mr von Alt.
____
* Christopher J. von Alt received his B. E. in Electrical Science from the University of NY at Stony Brook in 1978 and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering from the MIT in 1984. He has worked in the underwater marine construction industry as well as holding research appointments at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). He has sat on or chaired numerous technical symposia and was the 1997 recipient of the WHOI Technical Staff Award. He has led many at-sea operations and pioneered the use of AUVs in the fields of mine countermeasures and Deep Sea Survey operations. Mr von Alt has also written numerous publications. In September 2011, Mr von Alt received the Distinguished Technical Achievement Award of the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society for his leadership in the development and use of AUVs. Mr von Alt is currently President and CEO of Hydroid, Inc.

[buglerbilly]

Remus 100 AUV deploys to Japan

04 April 2012 - 9:20 by the Shephard News Team



Hydroid has announced that it has shipped four REMUS 100 systems to the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MOD). In a 3 April 2012 statement, Hydroid said that the AUVs will be used for mine countermeasure operations as well as investigating and mapping sea floor dispersion of contaminants following last year’s 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

According to the company, the order for the MOD purchase was submitted by SEA Corporation, Hydroid’s representative in Japan.

The four REMUS AUVs will also be used to assist with mine countermeasure operations such as detecting underwater mines, improvised explosive devices and other undetonated ordnances as well as finding and classifying submerged objects.

Hydroid's REMUS AUVs are modular, and can be fitted with a variety of sensors and used to aid in hydrographic surveys, harbour security operations, debris field mapping, scientific sampling and mapping, as well as many basic and applied research programs.

[buglerbilly]

Royal Norwegian Navy Purchases Four Additional REMUS 100 AUVs


REMUS 100 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). (Photo: Hydroid)

15:56 GMT, April 10, 2012 Pocasset, MA | Hydroid, Inc., a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime and the leading manufacturer of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), today announced that the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) has purchased four additional REMUS 100 systems. The AUVs were acquired by the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) on behalf of the RNoN and will be used by the Norwegian Armed Forces for mine countermeasure operations.

“With this purchase, Norway’s Navy is building on its commitment to protecting the waters in and around the Norwegian coast,” said Christopher von Alt, President and co-founder of Hydroid. “Our REMUS 100 AUVs allow the Navy to explore the harsh Norwegian waters regardless of the weather conditions and to survey areas for explosives where traditional mine countermeasure vessels cannot travel.”

The REMUS 100 is a compact, lightweight AUV designed for operation in underwater environments up to 100 meters deep. The vehicle can be configured with a wide variety of standard and/or customer-specified sensors and system options in order to meet specialized mission requirements.

All of Hydroid's REMUS AUVs are modular: They can be fitted with varying sensors for use in hydrographic surveys, harbor security operations, debris field mapping, scientific sampling and mapping, as well as many basic and applied research programs. With more than 300 vehicles in the field, Kongsberg Maritime is currently the AUV market leader.

[buglerbilly]

Large Displacement UUV Steaming Ahead

Apr 12, 2012

By David Hambling



The U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research plans to take robot submarines to a new level. Current Navy unmanned underwater systems (UUS) are small vehicles controlled by an operator nearby, for missions lasting a few hours. The Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) will be large and highly autonomous, carrying out missions at long distances for months. It will act as a mothership, deploying and operating static and mobile sensors for persistent surveillance in coastal waters. Ultimately, it is likely to be armed. The program sounds ambitious, but much of the technology has already been proven.

Boeing’s Echo Ranger is setting the pace for LDUUV technology. Originally built in 2001, the Echo Ranger is a 5.5- meter (18-ft.), 5-ton craft that can dive to 10,000 ft. “In terms of autonomous operation, we’re pretty much there,” says Mark Kosko, program manager for Boeing’s Unmanned Undersea Systems group.

The Navy’s autonomy requirements call for it to operate without human assistance in shallow water littered with obstacles. In the first 18-month phase the craft will work at shallow depths of as little as 100 ft., calling on an operator via satellite link in challenging situations. The second phase, which will take up to three years, will extend operations to open ocean and working without any human intervention.

The LDUUV will have to detect and avoid surface and submerged vessels, and other hazards such as marine mammals and fishing nets. It will sense and maneuver around fixed obstacles, including piers, moorings and underwater terrain, and plot an efficient course to take.

Echo Ranger has already worked in this type of environment. Sonar gives it short-range obstacle sensing, and acoustic sensors warn of approaching vessels from several miles away. The vehicle then moves out of the way to avoid collision. Echo Ranger’s developers have also learned how to avoid static obstacles, sometimes the hard way—on one occasion it got stuck in a kelp bed.

“You only have to learn that lesson once,” says Kosko.

Another element of the LDUUV program concentrates on endurance, aiming to boost the amount of energy stored per-pound by 10 times. Again, there will be two phases: the first, taking two years, will see the LDUUV operating for up to 30 days at a stretch, increasing to 70 days in the second phase.

Echo Ranger is powered by batteries with an endurance of 28 hr., although Kosko says diesel engines or fuel cells could prolong that time. These technologies might be difficult to apply on small unmanned vessels, but the LDUUV power unit will weigh 3.5 tons, and Kosko says it is largely a matter of packaging existing technology.

A third development effort addresses reliability needed for longer missions. Again, Kosko says this has been explored with Echo Ranger. Drawing on Boeing’s expertise with satellites to airliners, developers have looked at redundant systems, improved component reliability and also self-monitoring capability. The craft needs to be able to compensate for the loss of a sensor, and gauge the seriousness of other problems.

“It has to be able to sense a leak and say ‘Hey, it’s time to go,’” says Kosko.

The LDUUV will have a large payload bay, making it capable of releasing sensors, communication buoys, smaller UUS and weapons. The Navy’s current emphasis is on persistent surveillance “over the horizon.” However, its most significant impact could be in mine warfare, both offensive and defensive.

In the counter-mine role, the LDUUV will be able to detect and locate mines, then engage and neutralize them safely. And the LDUUV could make offensive mine laying more controllable and clandestine. In the transformational mine concept, the LDUUV lays networked sensors across a wide area. These track and identify every vessel within range. Depending on the situation, any vessel can be engaged, by either an anchored weapon or a torpedo from the UUV itself. The advantage of using an LDUUV is that the minefield can be switched on or off, or changed in size. It can be emplaced in advance, and never activated. De-mining and clear-up do not pose the major problem that they do with traditional mines.

The Navy plans to release a request for proposals for the LDUUV in 2014. Last October Rear Adm. Barry Bruner, the Navy’s undersea warfare director, indicated that up to 10 LDUUVs would be procured. The LDUUV is being pitched as a helper to complement manned submarines. However, if it achieves the technology goals for endurance and autonomy, it will pose serious questions of what exactly large unmanned craft could not ultimately do.

Photo: Boeing

[buglerbilly]

ATLAS North America Awarded Contract for SeaFox

(Source: Atlas Elektronic; issued May 8, 2012)



VIRGINIA BEACH, VA --- Under contract to Lockheed Martin Corporation, Atlas North America (ATLAS NA) will deliver SeaFox mine neutralization systems as part of a system to address an urgent operational need from U.S. Navy Central Command for a more effective mine countermeasures system embarked in the Avenger-Class ships. This extends previous deliveries of the SeaFox for use with the MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopters.

Under the contract, ATLAS NA is responsible for SeaFox system delivery, testing, operation and life cycle support for three Navy Avenger-Class ships and six MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopters. All deliveries are expected to be complete within one calendar year.

Dieter Rottsieper and Volker Paltzo, Managing Directors of the Atlas Elektronik Group, state: “We are pleased that the SeaFox system has been selected for this very important contract, enabling us to continue providing undersea warfare systems for use by the U.S. Navy.”

This fiber-optic guided, one shot mine disposal vehicle SeaFox 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. It is deployable from a wide range of carrier platforms, including dedicated mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels, surface combatants, craft of opportunity, rubber boats and helicopters.

ATLAS NA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Elektronik GmbH of Bremen, Germany and serves the U.S. market with a specific focus on undersea warfare and unmanned vehicles. ATLAS NA is strategically located close to the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet bases and Washington, D.C. and is capable of providing any of the ATLAS Group products as well as a broad range of associated technical and logistics support services for the entire product life-cycle.

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. The electronics specialist is a joint company of ThyssenKrupp and EADS and has a workforce of over 1900 highly skilled employees.

-ends-