N092-124 TITLE: Detection/Localization of Mine Detonation Resulting From Unmanned Influence Sweep Operations

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 403: Unmanned Surface Sweep System (US3) and PMS 495: OASIS system

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work is the design, development, and testing of a system capable of detecting and localizing the detonation of an underwater mine that has been swept by the acoustic and magnetic influence of the Unmanned Surface Sweep System (US3).

DESCRIPTION: A major thrust in US Naval Mine Countermeasures (MCM) is the development of unmanned remotely operated mine sweeping systems that take the "man" out of the minefield. The Unmanned Surface Sweep System (US3) is one of these programs. The US3 is a magnetic/acoustic influence sweep deployed from an unmanned eleven meter surface craft. It is designed to sweep underwater influence mines and is composed of a control computer, power supply, winch, magnetic influence cable, and acoustic source. The cable and acoustic source can be deployed and operated under remote control and towed at high speed. The unmanned craft can operate at a significant range from the LCS or host ship in both day and night operations. The US3 will be operating at a substantial rate of speed, causing wakes, acoustic noise, and other disruptions in the sea.

The needed new key capability of this type of system is the detection and location of the underwater detonation of enemy mines. This information is critical in determining mission effectiveness and in gauging the progress of the sweeping operation. A system needs to be developed that will detect the mine detonation and determine an accurate range and bearing from the surface craft in local and earth coordinates.

Current state of the art cannot achieve the needed detection and localization of mine detonations. For example, GPS position and heading of the craft at the time of the mine explosion can be used to define the location of the detonation in a common geodetic coordinate system but the position of the craft alone is not sufficient to localize the detonation. A manned observation of a very rough estimate of range and bearing is possible from an MCM ship or MH53 but this is a low accuracy visual estimate of a transient event and would only occur if the explosive event significantly disturbed the sea surface and was observed by a crew member. This may not occur at all in a deep water sweep operation or at night. An observation of this type of event using OASIS from a H60 is also not effective because there would be limited or no visibility of an explosive event behind the aircraft. There is currently no capability to detect and localize mine detonations from an unmanned sweep platform.

The purpose of the US3 system is to fire influence mines at the longest range possible to achieve high coverage rates and reduce the vulnerability of the craft. There are no sensors on the US3 system that can detect and localize a mine detonation. Organic Airborne sand Surface Mine Influence Sweep (OASIS) contains an accelerometer to detect an explosive event but has no capability to determine the location of the detonation. The ideal mine detonation and localization system would have the capability to detect a mine detonation at a range of 1000 meters with a bearing accuracy of +/- 15 degrees and a range accuracy of +/- 25 meters. The system would have a probability of detection greater than 90% and a false alarm rate less than 1%.

Accurate information on the location and occurrence of a mine explosion would provide a critical real-time assessment of the mission effectiveness. Mission planners could better assess percent clearance achieved, effectiveness of sweep system settings, and vulnerability of the sweep platform. In addition, an accurate location of the event with the use of pattern recognition techniques would significantly aid in determining the location of other mine bearers in the area suggesting specific locations to concentrate additional hunting and sweeping efforts. This could be a possible force multiplier allowing the MCM force to achieve the required percent clearance in less time.

This SBIR seeks an innovative novel solution in the development of a sensor system that can be integrated with either the US3 system or USV and has the capability to accurately detect and localize in earth coordinates the explosive event of underwater mine detonations with an appropriately low false alarm rate.

Phase I: Perform a study and analysis of candidate technologies that can be utilized to meet the required objectives. Document the analysis and provide a recommended technical solution to the Navy. Determine the precision of the location measurement in the concept formulation. This is to include analyses of environmental factors, mine equivalent explosive weights, possible mine fire ranges, and acceptable false alarm rates.

Phase II: Develop a prototype system. Integrate the prototype into the relevant US3 system components or USV components and support a prototype demonstration. The government will provide the US3/USV components as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). The evaluation will be based on a comparison between the current technology and the results of the prototype demonstration.

Phase III: Upon completion of a successful demonstration the prototype will be sufficiently documented to allow fabrication of initial production units for full operational testing. Following successful operational testing the documentation will be developed for the fabrication of production units.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This technology can be applied to search and rescue operations, oil and gas industry, and even commercial fishing.

REFERENCES:
1. ITT Defense Systems: Unmanned Surface Sweep System, http://www.edocorp.com/MineSweepSystemUS3.htm

2. Mine Sweeping: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine

3. AN/ALQ-220 (OASIS) (United States), Mine warfare - Mine clearance systems, http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Underwater-Warfare-Systems/AN-ALQ-220-OASIS-United-States.html

KEYWORDS: US3; Unmanned Surface Sweep System; LCS Mission Packages

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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