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.

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