TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors, Electronics, Battlespace

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS-480/N857 Integrated Swimmer Defense Program of Record. ACAT IV

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a tethered antenna for a UUV that will support two-way RF communication and GPS reception. The inspiration being the floating wires and communication buoys utilized by submarines.

DESCRIPTION: UUVs are used in many applications where the placement of a sensor underwater is required. Examples include bathymetric survey and mine detection systems. The UUVs generally navigate via an inertial navigation unit that is fixed to GPS prior to diving or acoustically via transponders in fixed locations. The underwater regime limits the UUV’s ability to communicate, the available options being low data rate acoustics, hard tethers back to an operator, or latent RF communications as the UUV periodically comes back to the surface. The ability to communicate rapidly while still submerged could be very beneficial to many applications and the Terminal Swimmer Detection and Targeting (TSDT) Future Naval Capability (FNC) application in particular. In this case the UUV would have to effect an intercept of a moving target under the guidance of a remote detection system. A tethered antenna that will support two-way RF communication and GPS reception would greatly enhance the ID and localization capabilities of such a system. The floating wires and communication buoys utilized by submarines provide inspiration.

PHASE I: Design and demonstrate through simulation or limited testing the potential to develop a tethered antenna. This phase may or may not include actual hardware testing.

PHASE II: Demonstrate submerged communication performance through employment of an actual UUV or a realistic surrogate. This phase will include development of hardware. A completely functional prototype is not required; however, the feasibility and the expected performance of a fully operational antenna system should be clearly evident within the demonstration.

PHASE III: A successful antenna system coupled to a capable UUV has the potential to transition into the Maritime Expeditionary Security Force (MESF) Swimmer Defense Program of Record, Integrated Swimmer Defense (ISD) system. SECRET clearance may be required for Phase III.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: UUVs are developing an ever wider user and capability base. The option of tethered on RF should prove useful in many applications. The more specific underwater ID and localization of potential intruders has applicability to homeland defense, law enforcement, and private-security systems.

REFERENCES:
1. Assessing the Risk in U.S. Ports, Marine Technology Reporter, September 2005 (Available at: http://www.mtronline.net/MTIssues/mt200509o2.pdf).

2. New Tech on Tap at AUV Fest ‘05, Marine Technology Reporter, September 2005 (Available at: http://www.mtronline.net/MTIssues/mt200509o2.pdf).

3. ONR BAA Announcement # 07-019, Terminal Swimmer Detection and Targeting (Available at: www.onr.navy.mil/02/BAA/docs/baa_07_019.pdf).

4. M. Kono, "Winding and packing of optical fiber for deployment from remotely controlled underwater vehicles", Proceedings of the winter annual meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, November 1981.

5. High-Strength, Long-Length Optical Fiber for Submarine Communications at Speed and Depth, Navy SBIR 2008.1 - Topic N08-095 (Available at: http://www.navysbir.com/n08_1/N081-095.htm).

KEYWORDS: AUV; UUV; Communications; Antennas; Tether; GPS.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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