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 Family of UUVs. 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 family of UUVs, 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 with testing commencing in FY21. The next phase 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. 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 award to industry 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, including opportunity to leverage Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) vehicles for unique mission capabilities.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2021
• Source ID: 0604031N_4_1319_PB_2021
• Change Summary Explanation: Program Changes: FY19 - -$2,362K Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) FY20 - Not applicable. FY21 - -$3,973 Underexecution adjustment; +$0.458k miscellaneous adjustments Technical: Not applicable. Schedule: Not applicable.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Autonomy
• Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

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

Readers

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

Technology Areas

• Autonomy