VSW MCM/Force Protection UUV

Abstract

Funding supports the development of unmanned systems for the Navy's expeditionary unmanned underwater EOD and MCM capability. Specifically, it provides for development of affordable expeditionary, unmanned underwater systems to support Navy Expeditionary forces including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Mobile Diving and Salvage, Very Shallow Water (VSW), and Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures (ExMCM) mission operations. The equipment must be highly portable in order to support the Navy EOD technician to safely approach, render safe, recover, exploit, and dispose of underwater explosive threats to include sea mines, limpet mines, and unexploded ordnance. Provides support for the Navy's high priority missions of Maritime Homeland Defense and MCM, including clandestine reconnaissance and mine clearance in support of amphibious operations. Development of Expeditionary UUV systems to support localization render-safe and detailed intelligence gathering of UXO including Underwater Improvised Explosive Devices. This project directly supports Department of the Navy Strategic Roadmap for Unmanned Systems promulgated in March 2018. This budget provides the resources needed to execute two formal MK18 Family of Systems acquisition programs as well as three major engineering change proposals and the enhancement to the MK18 Family of Systems to provide an underwater threat interdiction capability. These efforts require prototype development and significant RDT&E during FY20. Program execution tempo reflects continued efforts to support MK 18 UUV Increment II and EOD Response ROV capability development. FY20 will focus on continuation of the development and testing of advanced technologies that will allow warfighters to detect, classify, and localize high priority threats in meeting mine warfare missions. For example, the MK 18 Mod 2 Increment II upgrade will provide improved Automated Target Recognition (ATR) algorithms, more advanced autonomy architecture and continue to enhance electro-optic sensor performance. Increment II development and testing will focus on improving MCM performance and reducing the tactical timeline through development of a Reacquire, Identify and Mark capability for the MK18 Mod 2 system. Concurrently with these efforts, the MK18 Mod 1 is undergoing a configuration change that will provide a higher area coverage rate, inclusion of vehicle autonomy, and Automated Target Recognition. Also, resources will continue to be used to expand deployability of the MK 18 Family of Systems (FoS) aboard a higher number of shipboard platforms and also to deploy the FoS from additional small boats other than the current 11 meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). These efforts will significantly improve the capabilities of the projected inventory of 16 MK 18 Mod 1 and 16 MK 18 Mod 2 systems for fleet Expeditionary MCM forces. Currently, the MK 18 Family of Systems are being employed in multiple theater of operations (5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet) and have been employed in multiple CONUS based port survey and maritime homeland defense operations as well. Additional efforts will continue to execute the open competition process necessary to acquire and verify an EOD Response ROV capability focusing on user effectiveness and operational suitability to provide a ROV based target interdiction capability to address the capability gaps assessed in the previously conducted EUNS AoA. This next generation capability (i.e. modified-off-the-shelf (MOTS) ROV) is developed to decrease risk when reacquiring/investigating a potential threat (i.e. sea mine or Underwater Improvised Explosive Device).

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 4023_0603654N_4_1319_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

• Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs