US Navy trials undersea drone in Mediterranean Sea

[F-22Raptor]

The US Navy has reportedly launched and recovered an underwater drone from its USS North Dakota submarine, which is said to be its first such mission.

The submarine-launched unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV) are considered to be cost-effective alternative to extend the reach of the US Navy's submarine fleet.

The Virginia-class vessel completed its two-month mission in the Mediterranean Sea, and returned to its base in Groton, US.

USS North Dakota commanding officer captain Douglas Gordon was quoted by Associated Press as saying: "We can do a dual mission.
"UUVs do their thing while we do other operations."

A shelter attached to the top of the submarine was used to launch the Hydroid-manufactured Remus 600 drone.

Navy undersea capabilities programme manager captain Carl Hartsfield said that the drone deployed by the USS North Dakota can be configured to carry various payloads.

Hydroid's drone can be equipped with video cameras, GPS devices and sonar technology.

Since 1970s, the navy has used unmanned vehicles for training purposes to replicate enemy submarines. The UUVs were also used to detect mines and map the ocean floor.

The military is exploring ways to deploy drones for other purposes, including intelligence gathering and even anti-submarine warfare.

In 2010, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island, launched an undersea drone that travelled from Newport to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, US.

US Navy trials undersea drone in Mediterranean Sea - Naval Technology

 

[Fenrir]

In case anyone's wondering about recovery methods.

Launch:

This UUV is a AN/BLQ-11 long-term mine reconnaissance system (LMRS). The LMRS is about the size of a torpedo, and is launched and recovered via a torpedo tube. It is then recovered via an 18.5 meter (60 foot) robotic arm.

The LMRS can operate for 40 hours, and up to 135 (eventually over 200) kilometers from the submarine. Cruising speed is about 7 kilometers an hour, with a top speed of 12 kilometers an hour. It can operate from 3 to 61.5 meters (ten to 200 feet) beneath the surface. In addition to GPS, the LMRS has side scan sonar, forward-looking sonar, hunting and docking sonar, acoustic communications and range pingers. The UUV is battery powered and uses a thrust-vectored pumpjet for movement and maneuvering. Previous UUVs were wire (fiber optic cable) controlled, while LMRS can carry out missions by itself.

Recovery:

Several designs combine both into a single action:

 

[F-22Raptor]

The Virginia-class submarine USS North Dakota returned to its homeport at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn., July 20 after conducting groundbreaking operations in the Mediterranean Sea, a Navy spokesman said in a July 20 release.

Under the command of CAPT Douglas Gordon, the ship finished its first-ever mission by deploying and retrieving unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) from the ship’s dry deck shelter in an operational environment. The six-week mission was conducted prior to completing the ship’s post shakedown availability, joining a small group of Virginia-class submarines to accomplish the feat. Others have been the USS Virginia, USS Hawaii and USS New Hampshire.

“The crew was very excited to be chosen to take the ship forward and conduct operations in support of fleet and combatant commanders’ operational objectives,” said Gordon. “It was a rare opportunity for the crew to be able to deploy prior to executing its post shakedown availability. Many crew members had never deployed before and were able to experience first-hand the hard work and effort required in preparing a ship for deployed operations. They trained hard and expertly executed our mission. I could not be more proud of their performance and the professionalism that they exhibited during our operations.”

CAPT Jim Waters, commander, Submarine Squadron 4 and the submarine’s immediate superior in the chain of command, expanded on the captain’s comment.

“The timing within USS North Dakota’s schedule, along with its highly-trained and certified crew, made it the optimal choice to conduct this mission,” said Waters. “The mission completed by North Dakota also demonstrated the promising and emerging technology of UUVs within the Submarine Force.”

North Dakota is the 11th Virginia-class attack submarine to join the fleet, and the first of eight Block III Virginia-class submarines to be built. The Block III submarines are built with new Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase missile-firing payload possibilities.

The 10 current Virginia-class submarines have 12 individual 21-inch diameter vertical launch tubes able to fire Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMS). The Block III submarines being built will have two-larger 87-inch diameter tubes able to house six TLAMS each.

SEAPOWER Magazine Online

 

[AMDR]

America is still revolutionizing warfare while leaving everybody else in the dust yet again. Between the P-8A, ACTUV, the increasingly lethal LCS ASW Module, new UUVs, and of course the VA class subs, American undersea dominance is safe for the forseeable future.

 

[mike2000 is back]

In case anyone's wondering about recovery methods.

Launch:

Recovery:

Several designs combine both into a single action:

Always ahead of the world. Give credit when due.

 

[Fenrir]

While counter-submarine operations are a new task for REMUS 600 (the AUV in the OP), mine-countermeasures duties have been ongoing since 2010:

It's a very versatile system:

Remus UUV

...

Buuuuuuuuut, the REMUS 600 - as found on the Virginia Class Submarines is a product of a different nation's defense industry, not the US, though they license produce it and have put it to great effect.

That nation?

Norge Stronk too.



...

About REMUS 600

REMUS 600

• Vehicle diameter: 32.4 cm (12.75 in)
• Vehicle length: 3.25 m (128 in), length varies depending upon module configuration.
• Weight in air: 240 kg (530 lbs)
• Maximum operating depth: 600 m (1500 m configurations available)
• Power: 5.2 kWh rechargeable Lithium ion battery. (Second 5.2 kWh or 6.2 kWh battery tray is optional)
• Endurance: Typical mission endurance is 24 hours dependant on speed and sensor configuration, operating environment and mission program.
• Propulsion: Direct drive DC brushless motor to open two bladed propeller
• Velocity range: Up to 2.1 m/s (4 knots) variable over range. Dependant on sensor configuration.
• Control: 3 independent control fins providing yaw, pitch, and roll control. Altitude, depth, yo-yo, and track-line following provided. Optional forward fins available for lateral and pitch control.
• External hook-up: Two connectors, one for shore power, and one for shore data. Alternatively, 802.11G wireless network provided via dorsal fin antenna.
• Casualty circuits: Ground fault, leak and low voltage detection, housing leak detection, all sensors and systems have operational go/no-go fault indicators.
• Navigation: Inertial/DVL navigator, Long base line acoustic, WAAS GPS, P-Code GPS.
• Tracking: Acoustic transponder, acoustic modem, Iridium modem. Shipboard equipment provided with system.
• Communication: Acoustic modem, Iridium, WiFi-2.4 GHz, 100 base-T Ethernet.
• Standard sensors: ADCP/Doppler Velocity Log, Inertial Navigation Unit, Side Scan Sonar, Iridium, GPS, Pressure , Conductivity & Temperature
• Optional payload sensors: User specified, but examples include Dual Frequency 300/900 kHz Side-Scan Sonar (SSS), Video Camera, Electronic Still Camera, Fluorometers, Multi-beam sonar, etc.
• Software: REMUS-VIP GUI based laptop interface for programming, training, documentation, maintenance and troubleshooting
• Emergency relocation: Emergency power system maintains GPS, Iridium, and acoustic transponder in the event of vehicle or CPU failure. Vehicle position and status is automatically transmitted via Iridium at regular intervals.