Adv Submarine Systems Development

Abstract

The Advanced Submarine Systems Development (ASSD) Program is a non-acquisition program that develops and matures advanced technologies for successful integration into current and future submarine classes and in so doing lowers the technical and cost risks of integrating these new technologies prior to acquisition and speeds their delivery as capabilities into the Fleet and into formal Programs Of Record (PORs). ASSD transitions Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) technologies, payloads, and future naval concepts from the Science & Technology (S&T) and Research and Development (R&D) communities through the development, maturation, and technical integration of technology projects to operational submarine platforms for assessment, testing, and evaluation. Once the projects have proven their maturity and promise through at-sea testing they are formally transitioned into formal programs of record at lower risk and costs. Additionally, ASSD operates and maintains R&D infrastructure assets that are critical in the long-term design, assessment and construction of modern, stealthy submarine platforms. The program works with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD), Office of Naval Research (ONR), and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) organizations to transition technology for integration into current and future submarine classes to achieve new transformational capabilities while achieving total-ownership cost reductions. Experimentation and demonstration are conducted in a joint warfighting context with other services, (i.e. the U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force), to enable early assessment of the new technology's warfighting capabilities, and to inform the fleet and acquisition community on smarter technology-selection decisions. This program also supports cooperative R&D through Information/Data Exchange Agreements (IEA/ DEA) and joint Project Arrangements (PA) with the United Kingdom, Australia and other international partners. These international cooperative activities achieve future submarine class total ownership cost reductions, and influence future submarine concept designs and core technologies. Overall, the technology efforts in ASSD develop future technologies that are to be integrated into the Virginia class, Columbia class, future submarines and in-service submarine programs. Several programmatic budget changes are notable in this year's budget exhibits. (1) SEA073 has established new programmatic pillars to better align the different projects within Project 2033 (Strategic Capability R&D Infrastructure, Long Range R&D Investment, and Rapid Technology Development and Ship Integration). The specific project efforts within these new pillars have not changed other than new program starts and completions that are detailed below. (2) The SSN/SSGN Survivability Program (S3P) efforts previously funded under this project (through FY17) were moved to Project 3391 in FY18. The S3P program addresses gaps in stealth and the survivability for the current and future SSN/SSGN force. (3) The increase in funding from FY 2017 to FY 2018 in the Strategic Capability R&D Infrastructure pillar supports critical obsolescence upgrades to the Large Scale Vehicle (LSV-2) to enable its continued operation in support of the Columbia class propulsor test program and future submarine stealth improvements. These investments continue in FY19, (4) The decrease in funding in Long Range R&D is a result of the completion of material procurements and the surge in non-recurring engineering efforts to support installation of the advanced hull treatment advanced demonstrator effort as part of the Acoustic Superiority project on the USS South Dakota (SSN 790) starting in FY18. Future SEA073 investment in advanced hull treatments shifts to the transition of the materials developed as part of ONR's Future Naval Capability (FNC) program that will culminate in another at-sea demonstration in the FY21-22 timeframe. (5) Increase in FY17 Rapid Development due to OSD Supplemental Add for the Mining Expendable Delivery Unmanned Submarine Asset (MEDUSA formally named CDM/Bull Shark); next phase of project execution to complete design, fabricate system, and demonstrate on a 688 class submarine in FY20 has transitioned to Unmanned Maritime Systems program office (PMS406) as of Q4 FY17. Additional funding to cover efforts in FY18-20 are covered under PMS406 AUP/AUWP funding lines. Project 2033 is comprised of three programmatic budget categories: Strategic Capability R&D Infrastructure, Long Range R&D Investment, and Rapid Technology Development and Ship Integration. Strategic capability R&D infrastructure is investment to maintain and operate critical, one-of-a-kind submarine R&D assets that enable the design and manufacture of the stealthiest submarines in the world without the requirement to develop and test at full scale which is inordinately expensive and risky. Long-range R&D investment is the maturation and prototyping at full-scale of long- range (5-10 years) technologies to enable their maturation and readiness for incorporation into existing and future submarine baselines. The objective is to achieve high technology readiness (TRL-7) of the targeted technology so that it can be incorporated into the baseline submarine design during the detailed design contract award. Rapid technology development and ship integration projects are efforts designed to mature higher TRL capabilities and field the particular technology project capability within an 18-30 month window from program start to submarine at-sea demonstration. All projects are determined by senior USW leadership and N97 sponsor direction. SEA073 additionally initiates seedling technology projects (<$800K/year) under the innovative technology transition effort to assess new technology candidates and keep the submarine/USW technology pipeline primed. This effort is executed in the Long-Range R&D investment pillar. Major technology developmental efforts include: Strategic Capability R&D Infrastructure - Large Scale Vehicle (LSV) - Intermediate Scale Measurement System (ISMS) Long Range R&D - Advanced Submarine Hull Coatings - Advanced Signature Management - Advanced Submarine Control/Stationkeeping - Advanced Material Propeller/Next Generation Thrust (Future Propulsor/Shaft Technologies) -Submarine Corrosion Control Technologies Rapid Technology Development and Submarine Integration -Common Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS) Communications -Fleet Modular Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (FMAUV) -Li-Ion Battery for FMAUV Submarine Integration - Mining Expendable Devlivery Unmanned Submarine Asset (MEDUSA). Project transitioned to Unmanned Maritime Systems program office via MOU for execution of Phase II -Long-Range Deployable/Retrievable Instrumented Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Buoy

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 2033_0603561N_4_1319_PB_2019

Tags

Readers

• Maritime and Naval Warfare Studies
• Military Science and Technology Research and Modernization.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy