Boston Engineering to Incubate UUV Technology

Boston Engineering's Advanced Systems Group (ASG) will incubate projects emphasizing maritime activities, such as its ground-breaking technology with unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The site is adjacent to South Watuppa Pond and very close to the ocean, making it ideal for conducting UUV tests. "This move is in direct response to the progress made with our SBIR-funded UUV technologies," stated Mark Smithers, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Boston Engineering.

(Read more)

Hydroid asked to repair and upgrade Navy's fleet of MK 18

U.S. Navy officials are asking Hydroid Inc. in Pocasset, Mass., to repair and upgrade the Navy's fleet of MK 18 Kingfish unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), as well as to help train Navy personnel to use the unmanned submersibles.

Officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division in Indian Head, Md., are awarding Hydroid a $26.2 million contract to handle the UUV work. The Navy's MK 18 UUV is a variant of the Hydroid REMUS 600, which Hydroid developed originally developed through funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Arlington, Va., to support the Navy's UUVs with extended endurance, increased payload capacity, and greater operating depth.

(Read More)

Iranian Navy to Build Unmanned Submarines

Iran plans to build unmanned submarines. "This issue is on our agenda like other issues and cases," Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told FNA when asked if the Iranian Navy has plans to build unmanned submarines and other types of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles. About the reasons he didn’t provide any further details on the project, but it is known the Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates. The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.

PLUS System Completes Initial in-Water Testing

The PLUS (Persistent Littoral Undersea Surveillance) system consists of an undersea network of "sea gliders" and long-endurance Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs).

The UUVs perform as autonomous vessels with long underwater dwell times that carry highly capable sensors. The sea gliders are smaller autonomous vessels that collect the UUV data, and return to the surface to transmit that data to a shore-based collection and processing station.

The PLUS system is designed to easily deploy from any ship with a winch and crane and sufficient storage capacity. The testing conducted at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, R.I., Sept. 23 - 27, involved three UUVs and two sea gliders. Preliminary analyses of the results indicate that overall test objectives were achieved, and the PLUS system performed as expected.

Members of the Submarine Development Squadron Five UUV Detachment (DEVRON Five UUV Det) and LCS Squadron Anti-Submarine Warfare (LCSRON ASW) Mission Package Detachment One participated in this effort, helped set up the mission scenarios and assisted in the conduct of the tests. In turn, this exercise provided valuable training for the Navy operators who will be responsible for the PLUS system operations and maintenance. Testing will continue on the system until early 2015, when the Navy plans to deploy the PLUS system for overseas operational evaluation.

(Read more)

UUVs to stalk hostile submarines

Two high-profile events from the past three years have served to highlight the growing importance of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) in naval operations.

The first incident saw the Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby, operating off Libya in May 2011 as part of the NATO mission to enforce UN Security Council resolutions, deploy a SeaFox UUV to destroy a buoyant mine laid by pro-Gaddafi forces outside Misrata harbour. Subsequently, in August 2012, the US Navy sent dozens of SeaFox UUVs to the Persian Gulf after the Iranian government threatened to use its arsenal of Soviet-era mines to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would have effectively shut down a major proportion of the world's oil supplies.

Naval hydrographic and oceanographic units are using UUVs equipped with a wide array of sensors to chart the seabed and/or determine the characteristics of a given body of water, providing essential data for planning submarine and amphibious operations. Unmanned submersibles are also employed on search-and-rescue and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Meanwhile, trials have commenced in the US that will result in the introduction of a new class of deep-diving UUV designed to stalk hostile submarines.

(Read more)

Bluefin and NRL complete long-endurance UUV mission

Bluefin Robotics, in support of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has successfully completed a long-endurance UUV mission from Boston to New York totaling over 100 hours with NRL’s Reliant “Heavyweight” UUV.

The multi-day mission exercised UUV autonomy methods and demonstrated the capability of a high capacity energy configuration. Further, the endurance test was designed to push the boundaries of traditional UUVs with the objective to uncover the challenges and requirements for significantly extending UUV endurance for new applications.

The exercise is part of a series to support NRL’s research in UUV-based technology for the US Navy. NRL Reliant Vehicle on DeckReliant, is an advanced version of the Bluefin-21 vehicle and, when equipped with a Low Frequency Broadband (LFBB) sonar payload, is the prototype SMCM UUV Knifefish system for the US Navy. The vehicle navigates using a fiber-optic gyro-based INS along with supplemental data from a GPS and a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) to enable precise navigation underwater for long endurance missions.

Reliant utilizes Bluefin’s modular vehicle design that enabled the team to easily remove the payload section and add additional energy sections increasing the system’s energy capacity to nearly 40 kWh of power. Configuration took place over only a few days at Bluefin’s headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. The team mobilized the vehicle on the Boston Harbor Cruise’s, M/V Matthew J. Hughes, and deployed it outside Boston Harbor. To optimize for endurance and range, the vehicle traveled at an average speed of 2.5 knots at 10 meters water depth, resurfacing every 20 kilometers for navigation updates over GPS.

Team members on M/V Matthew J. Hughes and onshore were able to receive vehicle status information over Iridium satellite system. While the support vessel was available, it did not provide navigational updates to the UUV, leaving the system to travel completely autonomously. After 109 hours of operation and transiting over 500 kilometers through strong currents, the system successfully reached its end point in New York Harbor with 10% of its battery life remaining. The overall effort was funded by the Office of Naval Research.

New UUV Mothership Hits the Fleet: The Coastal Command Boat

The U.S. Navy recently introduced the new 65-foot Coastal Command Boat (65PB1101, or CCB) into the fleet.

Among other maritime security missions, the CCB will test new concepts in employing unmanned underwater vehicles. The boat has been configured to operate the MK 18 Mod 2 Kingfish UUV for mine counter-measures operations. 

Two of the 800-pound, 12-inch diameter UUVs sit in cradles on the stern of the CCB and are launched with the boat’s hydraulic crane.  The Navy is considering deploying the CCB to the Middle East for operational testing sometime in the next year.  Operating up to day-long missions from a shore base or even the well deck of a larger amphibious mothership, the CCB and MK VI PBs will deploy multiple mine-hunting UUVs. 

The Navy has also tested the man-portable SeaFox mine neutralizer from rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).  If equipped with SeaFox, the CCB and MK VI could not only find, but clear, detected mines, a capability that today is conducted with much larger dedicated mine countermeasures ships.

USN Signs Hydroid Contract for Mine-Countermeasures UUVs

In October 2013, Kongsberg Defence subsidiary Hydroid, Inc., of Pocasset, MA received a maximum $36.5 million, 5-year, sole-source award for its unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) from the US Navy’s Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division in Indian Head, MD. They’ll be buying 2 types of UUVs: MK18 MOD1 Swordfish and MK18 MOD 2 Kingfish. Both of these UUVs are currently contractor-operated, but the US Navy does intend to begin operating them itself by 2015. They probably could be loaded onto a Littoral Combat Ship as an interim measure, ahead of the planned 2017 in-service date for Bluefin Robotics’ Knifefish SMCM mine-countermeasures UUV.

Israel Defense Forces to Develop Drone Submarines

The department within Israel’s Ministry of Defense, tasked with developing next generation weaponry, MAFAT, is working on developing unmanned underwater vehicles, the market for which could exceed $2 billion by 2020, Israel’s Globes business daily reported, citing MAFAT aeronautics director Dr. Yuval Cohen.

UUVs include ROVs - remotely operated underwater vehicles that are operated by remote control – and AUVs - autonomous underwater vehicles which are  fully robotic, submarine drones, where Israel’s ingenuity could add the most value. The biggest market would be in mine-sweeping, Dr. Cohen told Globes. “The current response to this threat is slow and very expensive sweeps. Development of an automated unmanned submarine for efficient mine-sweeping, without risking human lives, should be very worthwhile and there is a good global market,” he said.

(Read more)

Bluefin Robotics Adds L-3 Klein UUV-3500 Side Scan Sonar to its Vehicle Payload Offerings

Bluefin Robotics, a leading provider of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), announced that the company has added the L-3 Klein UUV-3500 Side Scan Sonar to its growing list of vehicle payload offerings.

The L-3 Klein UUV-3500 sonar is one of several next-generation, compact digital sensors available on Bluefin vehicles that provide both side scan sonar and interferometric bathymetry data particularly suited for mine countermeasures applications.

In 2012, the Ocean Technology Lab at the University of Victoria first integrated the sonar on a Bluefin-12 by utilizing Bluefin’s standard payload interface. Their team conducted successful demonstrations and survey work in Canadian Arctic and provided valuable feedback to both Bluefin and L-3 Klein regarding system level performance.

SeaFox: A brief look

 

Basically, SeaFox is a mine disposal unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) manufactured by Atlas Elektronik. Guided by a fibre-optic cable, this UUV is primarily used to detect and classify mines and other identified ordnance in sea, although can also be used in damage estimation, intelligence, route survey, maritime boundary control and harbour surveillance missions. The complete SeaFox system includes a console, a launcher, and the SeaFox vehicle. It can be launched from a range of naval platforms such as dedicated mine counter measures vessels (MCM), surface combatants, rubber boats and helicopters. The UUV is currently in service in more than ten countries, including Royal Navy, Royal Thai Navy, US Naval Surface Weapons Centre and US Navy.

 

 

Variants

SeaFox is mainly offered in four variants to meet the different mission requirements of users. The variants include SeaFox C (a one-shot mine identification and disposal vehicle system used as a tool to semi-automatically dispose mines and other related things found in the sea), Sea Fox I (a mine identification, inspection and training UUV), SeaFox T (a training version of the SeaFox C) and SeaFox COBRA, equipped with the COBRA explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) tool supplied by ECS Special Projects

 

 

Design features

All the variants of the SeaFox UUV have a similar physical design and dimensions. The UUV has an overall length of 1.31m and width of 0.39m. It is designed with a height of 0.39m, and weighs approximately 43kg. The UUV can be operated at a depth of up to 300m. It can operate at a maximum speed of 6kt. It has a maximum endurance of 100 minutes depending on the assignment and other conditions.

 

Navigation and sensor system

SeaFox uses transponder/responder aided dead reckoning (pressure sensor) for navigation in the sea. The operator communicates with the SeaFox using a fibre-optic cable. About sensors, SeaFox is equipped with FLS sensors and a TV camera to identify the target and acquire related information.

 

Propulsion and power

The vehicle includes four independent reversible motors and a hover thruster which provides high manoeuvrability in reaching the desired position. Both SeaFox C and SeaFox COBRA are powered by non-rechargeable LiSO2 battery, while Sea Fox I and SeaFox T variants use rechargeable NiMH batteries.

La US Navy busca desarrolladores de UUVs

 

Los investigadores de la US Navy necesitan desarrollar cinco nuevos UUVs para llevar a cabo programas de investigación en guerra submarina.

 

Fuentes oficiales del Laboratorio de Investigación Naval (Naval Research Laboratory - NRL) en Washington DC, anunciaron esta semana su intención de llevar a cabo el desarrollo de nuevos UUVs basados en el modelo Bluefin 21, al objeto de llevar a cabo investigaciones a larga distancia y desarrollar nuevos programas y sistemas para la detección de minas submarinas de última generación.

 

A nivel técnico, lo que buscan básicamente es un UUV con las siguientes características:

• 21 pulgadas de diámetro
• Sistema de navegación basado en GPS, PHINS y DVL
• Propulsores de bajo ruido
• Sistemas de aprovisionamiento energético para misiones de 24h como mínimo
• 3 a 5 millas nauticas por hora (4,8 ... 8,0 Km/H) de velocidad operativa
• 400 metros de sumergibilidad
• Capacidad de comunicación OHT

Además, el UUV deberá ser capaz de soportar varios tipos de cargas de pago suministradas por los investigadores del NRL, que podrían incluir sonares de baja frecuencia para MCM y ASW, sensores de datos del entorno (profundidad del agua, velocidad del sonido en el agua, temperatura del agua), y cargas de pago para ACOMMS.

 

Las empresas interesadas deben enviar sus propuestas no más allá del 4 de Junio de 2013 a Charlotte Brooks vía e-mail:  Charlotte.Brooks@nrl.navy.mil.

 

Más información online: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DON/ONR/N00173/N00173-13-R-BC04/listing.htm.

The Manufacturing Institute impulsa el desarrollo de nuevos UUVs

 

Los emprendedores más jóvenes de Lancashire (Delaware, USA) están llamados a participar en una competición enfocada al desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías de asistencia y rescate a las víctimas de los desastres naturales. La competición, denominada "BAE Systems Make it Enterprising Challenge", está dirigida a jóvenes de 13 a 14 años y ha sido impulsada conjuntamente por el lobby tecnológico The Manufacturing Institute (Washington DC) y la multinacional norteamericana BAE Systems como parte de una serie de retos temáticos englobados en la campaña ‘Make It’, que busca atraer a los talentos más brillantes entre los más jóvenes. Durante la competición, los jóvenes talentos tendrán que hacer uso de su capacidad inventiva para diseñar y fabricar un prototipo de UUV para responder a emergencias debidas a inundaciones, que sirva como elemento de apoyo a las fuerzas y cuerpos de seguridad del estado.

Bluefin Robotics: Knifefish especial para el NRL

 

 

El renombrado fabricante de UUVs Bluefin Robotics, ha anunciado que va a producir una variante de su afamado UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle - Vehiculo Subacuatico No Tripulado) Knifefish al objeto de atender una petición especial del Laboratorio de Investigación Naval (Naval Research Laboratory - NRL).

 

 

Más concretamente, la modificación está pensada para adaptarlo a los requerimientos del programa de UUVs anti minas de superficie (SMCUUV - Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle program).

 

El objetivo clave del programa es avanzar en la investigación sobre nuevas tecnologías para guerra subacuática, siguiendo el mandato lanzado el 5 de Enero de 2012 por el Presidente Barack Obama.

 

 

En palabras del Dr. Brian Houston, director del Departamento de Física Acústica del NRL, “Se trata de avanzar en las posibilidades que pueden brindar estos equipos a la hora de contrarrestar la amenaza que suponen las minas acuáticas, y de ver cómo podemos adaptarlos a las futuras generaciones de UUVs. A este respecto creo que, en lo que se refiere a los programas de investigación tecnológica militar que se están llevando a cabo en el campo de los robots subacuáticos, Bluefin está demostrando ser para nosotros un socio estratégico de primer orden.”

 

Bluefin suministrará el sistema al NRL durante este año, bajo los términos del contrato firmado con General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (#N00173-10-C-6008). El diseño preliminar del UUV ha sido completado ya, y en principio contará con características similares a las carácterísticas standard del modelo original Knifefish, pero incluyendo comunicaciones bidireccionales Iridium, sensores especializados, y modificaciones encaminadas a la optimización de la carga de pago acústica.

David del Fresno

Phone: +34 681 284 196

E-mail: dfresno@analisisysimulacion.com

 

 

3+2 year ROV frame agreement awarded to IKM Subsea by Nexans Norway

The contract has an expected value in excess of 100 million NOK. Initially the frame agreement will include ROV services onboard Nexans Cable lay ship, Skagerrak Nexans. Further ROV work on other vessels chartered by Nexans Norway is also expected. (Read more)

SAAB suministrará unidades AUV62

La compañía sueca Saab ha firmado un contrato para la entrega de un cierto número de unidades AUV62, en configuración de entrenamiento. El contrato incluye tanto el suministro de las unidades como su mantenimiento a largo plazo, y las entregas tendrán lugar durante 2014 y 2015. Dada la naturaleza del contrato y del cliente, Saab ha declinado ofrecer más información, si bien sabemos que se trata de un sistema enfocado al entrenamiento de las fuerzas navales en tácticas de guerra subacuática.

 

 

Sharp-eared Robots Find Whales—And Help Them Escape Danger

Underwater robots listen for singing whales, then alert researchers on shore. (Read more)
 

UUV vs UAV: La ventaja militar asimétrica

En comparación con el desarrollo tecnológico de los UAVs, el desarrollo tecnológico de los UUVs está todavía en fase de crecimiento.

 

Ahora bien, los responsables militares de la OTAN están impulsando con fuerza el desarrollo de nuevos UUVs, conscientes de que éstos cuentan con la capacidad de ofrecer muchas ventajas frente a los UAVs. Vamos a ver algunas de sus ventajas, y algunos de sus inconvenientes.

 

Ventajas

• Los UUVs, por su propia naturaleza de vehículos subacuáticos, son extremadamente difíciles de detectar: Considerando lo difícil que resulta detectar un submarino de gran tamaño, resulta fácil imaginar lo extremadamente difícil que puede resultar la detección de un submarino cientos de veces más pequeño. Gracias a ello, permiten monitorizar posibles amenazas (minas, submarinos, etc.) indetectables por los UAVs.
• Existen actualmente varias tecnologías de aprovisionamiento energético que podrían permitir a los UUVs operar casi indefinidamente, y esto es algo en lo que aventajan en mucho a los UAVs:  Energía solar, regeneración por oleaje, recarga térmica, recarga iónica, etc. son algunos de los métodos que ofrecen la posibilidad de obtener una autonomía extremadamente elevada.
• Los posibles usos de los UUVs en el terreno militar naval exceden con mucho las capacidades de los UAVs:  Imaginemos la posibilidad de colocar pequeñas cargas explosivas junto al casco de un barco amarrado en su propia base, o colocar un pequeño UUV permanentemente junto al casco de un barco o de un submarino enemigos, a fin de efectuar un seguimiento constante de los mismos. Aunque son dos ejemplos al azar, creo que bastan para hacerse una idea.

Inconvenientes

• Por supuesto, existen problemas asociados. La comunicación subacuatica es uno de ellos. De nada sirve recopilar datos... si éstos no pueden transmitirse.
• Por si lo anterior fuera poco, el control remoto subacuatico de un UUV situado a larga distancia del centro de mando resulta aún más dificil, cuando no imposible. Frente a este problema, parece claro que habrán de encontrarse soluciones basadas en sistemas autónomos, al igual que se ha hecho con los UAVs. No es difícil: Es sólo cuestión de tiempo. Pero indudablemente es un inconveniente que los UAVs no tienen.

 

 

 

Bluefin Robotics HAUV

 

HAUV es un UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vessel) portatil, diseñado en un principio como herramienta de analisis del casco de cualquier embarcación, pudiendo abarcar desde la más pequeña hasta la más grande. Mientras que la inspección se va ejecutando de manera autónoma, el operario puede controlar manualmente el vehículo para observar detalles interesantes, identificados a partir de los datos que el sistema va proporcionando en tiempo real.

Facilidad de manejo

El sistema puede ser desembalado, revisado y lanzado al mar desde un pequeño bote en menos de 30 minutos, y tanto su batería como su módulo de almacenamiento de datos pueden ser reemplazados cómoda y facilmente en cualquier momento. En cuanto a la programación de las operaciones, éstas se realizan a traves de una intuitiva interface de usuario.

 

 

Datos de alta calidad

El sonar integrado DIDSON™ proporciona imágenes de alta resolución que pueden ser visualizadas en tiempo real gracias al enlace de fibra óptica con que cuenta el sistema. Los datos obtenidos pueden ser posteriormente editados mediante ciertas herramientas de tratamiento de ficheros digitales, hasta ser  convertidos en imágenes fotográficas de alta calidad.

 

 

Aplicaciones

• Inspección de embarcaciones e infraestructuras
• Seguridad de puertos y costas
• Detección de minas y explosivos
• Investigación científica

 

Especificaciones técnicas
 

Dimensions	42 x 39.5 x 16 in (107 x 100 x 41 cm)
Weight (Dry)	174 lb (79 kg)
Buoyancy	1 to 2 lb (500 g to 1 kg) net positive
Lift Points	4 handles for two-man portability
Depth Rating	100 ft (30 m), 200 ft (60 m) (optional)
Endurance	Up to 3.5 hours with standard payload (no current)
Speed	Up to 0.5 knots (1.5 knots optional)
Energy	1.5 kWh of total energy One 1.5 kWh battery pack Lithium-polymer, pressure-tolerant
Propulsion	Five thrusters for propulsion and control
Navigation	Contact location / relocation; 2 m CEP 50, 1 m CEP 50 (optional) IMU, DVL and depth sensor Hull-relative or seafloor-relative navigation
Communications	Real-time Ethernet via tether (fiber optic tether optional); Ethernet via shore power cable
Safety Systems	Emergency location transponder (optional)
Software	GUI-based Operator Tool Suite Third-party mosaicing software (optional)
Data Management	4 GB removable data storage module (RDSM)
Standard Payload	Sound Metrics DIDSON™ imaging sonar (1.8 MHz)

Datos del fabricante

Bluefin Robotics Corporation
553 South Street
Quincy, MA 02169, USA
T. +1 (617) 715-7000
F. +1 (617) 498-0067

 

Here’s How Darpa’s Robot Ship Will Hunt Silent Subs

 

Submariners like to say there are two kinds of ships: subs and targets. The Pentagon’s futurists want to turn that aphorism on its head, and develop a new kind of surface ship that can turn a sub into a target. Naturally, the sub-hunter won’t have a human on board. Here’s how it’s going to work. (Read more)

iRobot® 1KA Seaglider™

El iRobot 1KA Seaglider es un UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vessel) de alta profundidad, pensado para llevar a cabo misiones de varios meses de duración, cubriendo miles de kilómetros cuadrados de area.

Seaglider es capaz de realizar en tiempo real diversas mediciones físicas y químicas del agua, y enviar vía satélite los datos obtenidos, al centro de mando. Hasta la fecha, más de 135 UUVs Seaglider han sido entregados a clientes de todo el mundo, incluyendo a la U.S. Navy así como ciertas agencias gubernamentales y centros de investigación, para llevar a cabo tareas de:

• Oceanografía
• Vigilancia y reconocimiento 
• Defensa de puertos y costas

 

Especificaciones:

 

Diámetro máximo: 30 cm

Distancia máxima operativa: 4.600 km

Duración de las baterías: Hasta 10 meses

Envergadura: 1 m

Longitud: 1,8 ... 2,0 m (configurable)

Mástil de antena: 0,43 ... 1,0 m (configurable)

Peso: 53 kg (en seco)

Profundidad operativa: 20 ... 1.000 m (configurable)