Modular Tethered Antennas for Undersea Platforms Navy SBIR FY2016.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2016.1 Topic No.: N161-053 Topic Title: Modular Tethered Antennas for Undersea Platforms Proposal No.: N161-053-0162 Firm: Adaptive Methods, Inc 5860 Trinity Parkway Suite 200 Centreville, Virginia 20120 Contact: Jim Wiggins Phone: (301) 947-2566 Web Site: http://www.adaptivemethods.com Abstract: Unmanned undersea platforms are increasingly being used for gathering intelligence. But if these vehicles loiter on the surface to perform their mission, they are susceptible to discovery and capture. A tethered antenna would allow the unmanned vehicle to remain underwater reducing risk from both exposure and damage from surface ships. There is a need for a modular design that can change payloads depending on mission requirements. Adaptive Methods proposes a solution to this requirement. We describe in our proposal our design for a modular, reconfigurable, tethered antenna lift body for undersea platforms that will support two-way Radio Frequency (RF) communication, imaging sensors, broadband Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) antennas, and Global Positioning System (GPS) reception. It can operate at a wide tow speed range and can lift payloads up to 10 lbs. Benefits: This technology will provide a means for an underwater vehicle to communicate while at depth. The benefits are less risk of collision, detection, and lower power consumption while the vehicle is performing its mission. Initial sales will be to the US Navy in support of the underwater vehicle programs. Sales opportunities exist in the commercial UUV market where continuous communication between the user and the vehicle is required. Currently hundreds of UUVs are used worldwide in commercial applications such as marine salvage, university research, ship hull inspection, subsea oil and gas exploration, bathymetric surveys, infrastructure inspection, environmental sampling, and underwater security. Return