Automated Launch and Recovery of Small, Untethered Unmanned Underwater Vehicles from Unmanned Surface Vehicles Navy STTR FY2007 Sol No.: Navy STTR FY2007 Topic No.: N07-T037 Topic Title: Automated Launch and Recovery of Small, Untethered Unmanned Underwater Vehicles from Unmanned Surface Vehicles Proposal No.: N074-037-0097 Firm: Advanced Technology & Research Corp. 15210 Dino Drive Burtonsville, Maryland 20866-1172 Contact: Gilbert Lovell Phone: (301) 989-8047 Web Site: www.atrcorp.com Abstract: The scenario envisioned by the solicitation, if successfully achieved, will provide significant enhancement to the Navy's warfighting capability. The approach integrates the unique capabilities of both USVs and UUVs to provide performance gains neither can provide individually. The central technical challenge posed by the solicitation is the completely autonomous Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) launch, recovery, and mission support aboard an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). While the capability exists for USVs to launch and recover off-board sensors, to date this has been accomplished only under human supervision from a remote USV operator. While autonomous launch of a UUV from a USV has been demonstrated, the subsequent autonomous recovery of the UUV back aboard the USV has not. The requirements to recover and service a UUV for a subsequent deployment and to operate multiple UUVs from a single USV pose significant technical challenges. ATR has developed a concept entitled the UUV Launch and Recovery, On-board Handling, and Servicing System (LROHSS) that has the potential to meet these challenges in a timeframe consistent with that set forth in the solicitation. Benefits: The proposed concept combines the best attributes of both USVs and UUVs and overcomes many of the limitations of a UUV deployed from a remote host platform. Operating UUVs from an LCS-deployed USV eliminates the UUV's lengthy transit and associated battery drain thereby maximizing UUV mission performance. In addition, the USV, as the effective mother ship for the UUV, provides a more suitable communications relay platform than the UUV itself. By carrying multiple UUV's aboard a single USV, the process of collecting and retransmitting UUV data can be improved multifold over what a single UUV could provide. Launching and recovering multiple UUVs per USV means that while some UUVs are collecting data, others can be downloading data, and still others recharging for redeployment. Mission data collected by the UUV can be downloaded to the USV and, in turn, transmitted from the USV to those who need it for planning and support of ongoing operations in a timely manner. By carrying multiple UUVs equipped with different payloads, the USV can perform sequential sorties. For example, an entire mine countermeasures mission, potentially all the way through mine neutralization, could be performed in a single sortie of the USV. By equipping the USV with multiple independently operated UUVs, the timeline for the Intelligence Preparation of the Environment (IPE) in advance of active operations can be substantially reduced. The unique synergy obtained by combining a transporting, servicing, and data-transmitting USV with multiple data-collecting UUVs is conspicuous and strong motivation to develop and perfect the autonomous servicing system that would be required. DHS, including US Coast Guard, may represent another possible market for this system, once the US Navy or Special Forces have successfully deployed it. Although the country has many port areas and coastlines worthy of protection, and UUVs have certain unique reconnaissance capabilities, it is likely that economic considerations would limit the use of this system until a lower-cost second-generation system could be developed. Marine scientific research markets are likely to be low-volume and cost-sensitive. Commercial applications are judged at this time to be far in the future. Return