UUV Versatility at UDT 2012

Budgetary restraints, manpower downsizing and the shift in naval operations from blue-water to the littorals has also motivated navies and industry around the world to engage in the development of UUV technology, making it one of the most promising business streams for defence companies.

There are significant benefits to be derived from using portable unmanned mission systems to support mine countermeasures, including improved effectiveness, reduced risk to personnel and cost reductions.  David Berry of Atlas Elektronik will present a paper on how the company’s Containerised Integrated Mine Countermeasures System (C-IMCMS) mission module has successfully demonstrated that deploying this technology for unmanned mine countermeasures is a reality today.

Paul Esparon of BAE Systems will present on ‘Investigating the legal barriers to operating over-the-horizon unmanned assets for Mine Countermeasure (MCM) missions’. The vessels of the future will be required to conduct MCM operations from greater distances than is currently practised and deploy unmanned assets that can operate over-the-horizon.  Such an approach leads to a number of legal implications, often driven by safety regulations, which must be resolved for the application of this future methodology to be successful.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and associated undersea technologies have demonstrated exceptional utility and great growth potential for military, governmental and commercial maritime agencies as well as for ocean research institutions. Although unmanned systems in other domains have experienced rapid growth resulting from wartime necessities, there remains a prevalent “wait and see” mind-set about unmanned undersea systems among those who work in and depend on the oceans.  Dr. Rand LeBouvier from Bluefin Robotics Corporation will present on the benefits of deploying multiple unmanned systems worldwide that connect via an overarching data network and provide persistent presence and access to information for a wide audience of users. His paper offers a practical and cost-effective approach to creating such a network.

Sea mines still provide a threat to both surface ships and submarines. Whilst many technologies are available to clear mines, from a surface ship, there has been little progress on the submarine aspect as a result of inherent difficulties. Daniel Pettitt of Babcock will describe how incorporating UUV and ROV launch and recovery systems – in conjunction with detection - onboard a submarine could enable mine hunting and countermeasure operations to take place along with other key roles such as communications and inspection.