The U.S. Navy is asking industry to develop a large unmanned submarine able to operate in the open ocean and in coastal waters and harbors on missions lasting more than 70 days to gather intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) information.
The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) released a broad agency announcement (ONRBAA11-025) last week for the Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Innovative Naval Prototype Technology (LDUUV INP) program to develop UUV autonomy and long-endurance propulsion systems for large unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). Full proposals are due no later than 12 Sept. 2011.
The LDUUV is to be a pier-launched and recovered large unmanned submersible able to operate in the open ocean and conduct over-the-horizon sensor missions in coastal waters and harbors. The two primary technology areas that Navy researchers want to develop and demonstrate involve machine autonomy and endurance.
