Shallow Water Acoustic Reference Minehunter (SWARM)
Abstract
Our goal was to demonstrate the minehunting capabilities of a system of small autonomous vehicles. We specifically chose to examine vehicles that were compatible with launch via a standard 'A' sized sonobouy tube. We demonstrated that a system composed of such air-dropped vehicles can contribute significantly to the problem of clearing mines from an operational area. The cost and performance of such a system can be used as a reference by which managers can evaluate the tradeoffs with other more complex and costly alternatives. The objective was to design a small minehunting vehicle in sufficient detail that a thorough feasibility analysis could be conducted. A concept of operations (including deployment) was also developed to determine the necessary interactions between the individual vehicles. The final result is a design that can be used for cost/performance analyses, and which provides a basis for identifying any 'show stoppers' or technical issues that would critically limit the size and performance of such vehicles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA395018
Entities
People
- Michael L. Boyd
- Warren L. Fox
Organizations
- University of Washington