Small/Medium Unmanned Undersea Vehicles
Abstract
LIONFISH (SUUV) and VIPERFISH (Medium MEMUUV) Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) are a segment of the Navy's Family of UUVs defined as having a diameter between 3 inches and 10 inches for LIONFISH UUVs and a diameter of 10 inches to 21 inches for VIPERFISH UUVs. The UUVs can be launched by submarines, surface ships, or larger UUVs, and can be recovered by surface ships and submarines. This class of UUVs can have one or more types of sensors to perform multiple missions including Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (IPOE), battlespace awareness, and mine warfare. Due to the unique features, sizes, weights, and sensor/payload capabilities for these UUV classes, a combination of both the LIONFISH and VIPERFISH UUVs will be used to meet the Navy's mission needs. LIONFISH UUV Program - This Small Class Unmanned Undersea Vehicle program will field a light-weight, highly portable and mission configurable UUV for use by the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Naval Special Warfare (NSW), the Naval Oceanographic Community (NMOC), and United States Marine Corps operators. The program will deliver a baseline UUV capability and implement an incremental development approach, including phases for prototyping, integration, demonstration and fielding of Small Diameter UUVs to integrate with mission packages from each community. Surface Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SMCM UUV) - The Knifefish program develops advanced medium class UUVs to support clandestine mine detection capability against volume, bottom, and buried mines. Equipment includes vehicles and associated systems support equipment. In parallel, Block Upgrade design efforts aligned to Fleet needs are ongoing to support insertion of incremental capability when the technology is ready. Planned Block Upgrade candidates being considered include increased detection range capability, communications upgrades, on-board sonar processing and target recognition, command and control improvements, increased operational depth, and other smaller tasks, as well as future payloads as required. Littoral Battlespace Sensing - Autonomous Undersea Vehicle Submarine Variant (LBS-AUV(S)), also known as Razorback, is a medium class UUV capable of persistent, autonomous, ocean sensing and data collection in support of Navy Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (IPOE) missions. Razorback is deployed from host submarines in two variants: from the Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) or from the torpedo tube. The DDS deployed Razorback variant has been procured beginning in FY2017 with Fleet operational deployments beginning in FY2021. Development of requirements and submarine integration efforts commenced in FY2019 for the Torpedo Tube Launch and Recover (TTL&R) variant, which will be competitively sourced to industry by FY2022. In order to deploy Razorback, or other small or medium class UUVs from a host submarine platform with sufficient endurance to perform a desired mission, high energy density sources such as lithium ion batteries are used. Consequently, safety is paramount and mitigation systems must be in place to prevent or stop a high energy casualty event. SAFECAP is being developed as an active mitigation strategy that includes a shock qualified capsule that aides in the launch and recovery of small and medium sized vehicles through the torpedo tube. It also contains a Battery Casualty Detection System that constantly monitors battery health and status, providing early warning signs of a battery short via an alarm. In the event of a casualty, the capsule and vehicle portion of SAFECAP are flooded via the fire hose connections and the event is extinguished. MEDUSA is a medium class UUV capable of offensive mining capabilities deployed from a submarine. It may potentially carry other advanced payloads in the future to meet additional mission needs. MEDUSA features torpedo tube launch capability, long range, high payload placement accuracy, and can handle heavy payloads. A prototype system will be demonstrated in FY2021 using dummy payloads via an in-water launch from a host submarine. Lessons learned from the prototype and demonstration will inform a program start in FY2022 competitive award to Industry in FY2023 to develop and produce tactical systems. The MEDUSA prototype and Industry system differ from the Razorback Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery (TTL&R) variant. MEDUSA is approximately 21 inches in diameter, impulse launched from the torpedo tube, and expendable once the payloads are deployed. Razorback TTL&R is expected to be less than 15 inches in diameter, swim out and launch and recover from the torpedo tube, and be capable of swappable payloads to conduct a variety of missions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2022
- Source ID
- 0604028N_4_1319_PB_2022
- Change Summary Explanation
- Program Changes: FY 2020: -$1,794K Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR); +$1K Miscellaneous increase FY 2021: -$14,734K Congressional Directed Reductions; -$240K General Reductions FY 2022: +$8,508K Payload Handling System Increase; +$12,097K Small Medium UUV Development; +$13,035K Knifefish Procurement Adjustment; -$467K Miscellaneous Rate Adjustments Technical: Not applicable. Schedule: Not applicable.
- Service Agency Name
- Navy
Entities
Organizations
- United States Navy
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