August 2010 Navy
by Colin Macfarlane, Legislative Special Assistant
The public seems completely captivated by recent military unmanned technology. Predator and Reaper unmanned drones have become household words and movie subjects after receiving so much press in their involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Each branch of the military has long been acquiring, developing and implementing unmanned technology. The Navy, in particular, is pushing the limits of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Navy UUVs
In 2004, the Navy released its Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) Master Plan to help standardize research. The report created four categories of UUVs. Man-portable vehicles are small, weighing 25-100 pounds. Lightweight weights up to 500 pounds and heavyweight is for UUVs up to 3,000 pounds. The large vehicle classification is for UUVs of up to 20,000 pounds. Each sub-class and UUV is designed for different missions. Navy UUVs help assist in ISR, mine countermeasures, antisubmarine warfare, and oceanography.
The Near Term Mine Reconnaissance System (NMRS) and Long Term Mine Reconnaissance System (LMRS) are two UUVs developed specifically to help our Navy special ops stay safely out of the minefields. These both launch from torpedo tubes on SSN-class submarines. Once released from the torpedo tube, the UUV operates autonomously to scan for mine-like objects with accurate sonar systems. The difference between the NMRS and the LMRS is that the former is attached by a fiber-optic cable, while the LMRS has no strings attached. LMRS has been phasing out the NMRS.
Other Navy UUVs include the Seahorse UUV and the Battlespace Preparation Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (BPAUV). The Seahorse is used for long range, mine countermeasure operations as well as oceanographic surveys. It launches vertically from Ohio class submarines. It is a fully autonomous UUV capable of collecting very high quality oceanographic information in seas around the world. At 28 feet long and weighing just over 10,000 pounds, it is capable of 72-hour missions at a 300 mile range and at depths of around 1,000 feet. The BPAUV is a 10-foot-long unmanned vehicle that has been used by the Navy since 2004. It is used both for mapping the ocean floor as well as for hunting mines. BPAUVs operate at more shallow waters at up to 900 feet and at about 3 knots. These underwater vehicles will become pivotal in assisting the Navy missions.
Navy USVs
In 2007, the first ever Navy Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) Master Plan was released to guide research on USVs. Though the Navy has used USV vehicles in the past, such as for firing practice at sea, the technology is evolving. The plan created four categories for Navy USVs. X – Class USVs are small, usually around nine feet or less, and will conduct low-end intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The Harbor Class and Snorkeler Class feature seven-meter vehicles. The Snorkeler Class, in particular, will be for semi-submerged USVs that implement a periscope for surface vision. The largest class is the Fleet Class, featuring 11-meter vehicles conducting higherend USV missions. The three larger classes will assist the Navy in mine countermeasure, antisubmarine warfare, maritime security, surface warfare, special operational forces support, and electronic warfare missions.
The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) in San Diego is currently focusing on making USV’s more autonomous to allow for obstacle avoidance, autonomous navigation and path planning. They have successfully modified unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology and adapted it to a Challenger 2000 sport boat as a platform. Navigation requires careful sensors and path planning. USVs use two types of sensors. The deliberative Obstacle Avoidance (OA) sensor identifies objects 200 to 300 yards away, providing details on objects. The reactive OA sensors provide high-resolution information at a very high rate for obstacles less than 200 yards away. Only obstacles that are a threat to the USV are identified. This allows USVs to keep a safety zone around them. These advances at SPAWAR show just how much Navy USV technology is advancing.
Navy UAVs
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a vital and growing technology for the Navy. At Naval Air Systems Command, the BAMS and MQ8B UAVs have taken lessons from previous vehicles and applied them to the Navy. In 2008, the Broad Area Marine Surveillance UAV was authorized to meet the Navy’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements. It is a forward deployed, land-based system that is based off of the Air Force’s RQ-4B Global Hawk. The BAMS will work with the manned P-8A and EP-X aircraft, allowing these aircrafts to focus on antisurface ship warfare and multiintelligence operations. When the BAMS becomes fully operational in 2015, it will provide the Navy ISR for up to thirty hours straight.
One of the most unique unmanned vehicles for the Navy is the MQ8B Fire Scout. This unmanned vertical take-off vehicle can autonomously take off and land like a helicopter. It is ten feet tall and 31.7 feet long, capable of going 110 knots, and has five-hour endurance. Once fully operational, it will provide the Navy with both ISR and targeting data. The laser designator it carries allows the Fire Scout to find, track, and designate targets, as well as assess the damage afterwards. The MQ8B Fire Scout has been testing since 2006 and 168 of these are set to be produced and operational starting this year.
By sea, surface, and air, the Navy is steadily advancing their unmanned technology. The Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Congress are all pushing for more UVs to keep our troops safe, informed, and the best prepared in the world. There is no doubt this new wave of unmanned technology is here to stay, and the Navy is ready to push it to the limits. Note to readers: Mr. Macfarlane is an intern with AUSN from Dikinson College; Carlisle, PA, and has been covering a number of Congressional meetings and issues during the summer.