(U)Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles

Abstract

The Snakehead Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (LDUUV) is the Navy's Large Displacement UUV effort as part of the UUV Family of Systems (FoS). It is the number one Submarine-launched UUV priority due to the additional endurance and the capability it will bring to the fleet in support of maintaining the Navy's undersea superiority. In order to accelerate and support steady growth of the fleet's UUV FoS, the Snakehead program will design and build a modular, reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) with Open Architecture (OA) software (SW) focused on introducing a new class (large displacement) of UUVs to the Navy to provide increased endurance, payload hosting, and delivery capability. The Snakehead LDUUV will be modular in design and include hotel functionality (guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, and power distribution), high energy capacity and power output, highly capable propulsion and maneuvering, and high accuracy mission sensors and communications links. It is intended that modules will have well defined interfaces for the purposes of implementing cost-effective upgrades in future increments to leverage advances in technology. The Snakehead program is a CNO/ASN(RDA) approved Accelerated Acquisition. The Snakehead LDUUV program features a phased approach to grow capabilities at a manageable level of risk. Phase 1 is a Government developed prototype with significant Industry involvement to develop Techniques, Tactics, and Procedures (TTPs), Concepts of Operation (CONOPS), and risk reductions for submarine integration. One Phase 1 vehicle, with sufficient test spares, will be fabricated for integration onto Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) equipped submarines. This is a revision to the previous plan to build two Phase 1 vehicles. Phase 2 will be a competitive award to Industry, with increased capabilities and integration onto Modernized DDS and Payload Handling System (PHS) equipped submarines, as well as potential integration onto surface ships (This is a revision to the previous acquisition strategy of a second Government developed variant followed by an Industry vehicle). In order to support this accelerated transition to Industry, the required Technical Data Package and contracting documents will be compiled in FY19 and FY20, culminating with a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) release in FY20. An Industry award will occur in FY21, five years earlier than originally planned, for a single vendor design with options to fabricate up to four vehicles starting in FY23.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 0604031N_4_1319_PB_2020
• Change Summary Explanation: Program Changes: FY18 - +$60,187K Congressional realignment establishing new Program Element (PE); -$35,587K LDUUV UUV Program Concurrency; SBIR -$714K FY19 - -$25,000K Congressional: Transfer to line 94 (XLUUV); -$7,200 Congressional: Accelerate Delta Design; -$109K FFRDC reduction. FY20 - -$48,435K Orca Dual-vendor Acquisition Strategy; -$18,896K Balance UUV Portfolio Technical: Not applicable. Schedule: Not applicable.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Control Systems Engineering
• Engineering
• Guidance
• High Energy
• Navigation
• Power Distribution
• Product Development
• Program Management
• Situational Awareness
• Submarine Launched
• Test And Evaluation
• Underwater Vehicles
• Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
• Vehicles

Readers

• Software Engineering
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy