# UUVs: Applications and Thoughts (a work in progress)



## Ex-Dragoon (12 Nov 2005)

Unmanned Undersea(Underwater according to some sources) Vehicles are the underwater equivalents of the UAVs that we have only recently jumped on the band wagon for. Is it a capability we should actively seek. From what I have seen this field does not seen as well known as their air interface cousins, but I don't see why we could not start to develop scenarios to out ourselves ahead of the game by using and countering the UUV.

With a UUV I have no doubts this will be some of the current and eventual mission profiles:
1) Salvage
2) Survey and reconnaissance (including mine warfare route survey)
3) Anti diver ops
4) ASuW
5) ASW
6) Mine warfare- both laying and sweeping
7) UEW (Underwater Early Warning- I just made that up  )
8 ) Picket
9) Environmental (pollution control and climate survey)
10) Communications and information relay for Amphib/Spec Ops Support
11) Resource survey and extraction

Thoughts?


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## Kirkhill (12 Nov 2005)

Here's a notion for a UUV picket ex-dragoon.

Captor type device supporting stealth buoys.  Intruder detected. Captor UUV moves towards intruder and attaches a limpet mine with transmitter to hull.  Next it broadcasts to the skipper "Welcome to Canada, Bienvenue au Canada - a security device has just been attached to your vessel - for safe removal please report to the nearest Canadian port where your documents will be checked.   Thankyou for visiting Canada and we hope you enjoy your stay.  Have a nice day."  

Transmitter tracks position of vessel and reports it to Ottawa.  Failure to report to a Canadian port before exiting our EEZ may result in the sounding of an alarm, as at most stores, or rendering the vessel/item useless, as at other stores which used to employ exploding die markers.


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## Bert (12 Nov 2005)

It seems theres alot of activity around UUVs.  I had a chance to speak with an Environment
Canada engineer who is studing the arctic ice shelf using underwater sensors to
monitor ocean currents.  From his experience, UUVs have a multitude of applications but
are primarily limited by their power sources.  A large amount of power is required for 
communications, range and speed, and payload/system manipulation.   Advances in fuel cell
design may be key.  Found a few links:

http://www.onr.navy.mil/fncs/ 
http://www.onr.navy.mil/media/extra/fncs_fact_sheets/auto_ops.pdf
http://www.onr.navy.mil/media/extra/fncs_fact_sheets/electric_ships.pdf
http://kpwawao.kpt.nuwc.navy.mil/NUTEC/index.asp?res=med


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## Monsoon (12 Nov 2005)

I read something about these recently . It seems as though they're working at something that works rather like a bottom mine - when it detects a ship acoustically or by magnetic resonance, it surfaces and transmits a warning via satellite back to HQ, who can send out a ship or plane to investigate the contact.  They'd have a battery life of a few months, and would surface and request to be recovered when they're about to die.  Clever little system, and not requiring any new technology.


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## Cloud Cover (12 Nov 2005)

IIRC the OPP deployed some sort of UUV recently to investigate a plane crash in lake Erie for salvage and recce.


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## NCRCrow (12 Nov 2005)

UUV's more sci-fi crap 20/30 yrs down the road for Canada


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## Cloud Cover (12 Nov 2005)

HFXCrow said:
			
		

> UUV's more sci-fi crap 20/30 yrs down the road for Canada



You're right. Lets just nuke everything under the surface and feck 'em all if they can't take a joke.


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## NCRCrow (12 Nov 2005)

All these dreamers and there acroymns....the reality is Canada can barely contribute in traditional warfare roles.

I seem to be thread killer lately. I had beter drink some more.

Crow


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## Ex-Dragoon (13 Nov 2005)

Nah we just generally ignore what you say and talk on...


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## Cdn Blackshirt (15 Nov 2005)

I'd like to start with UCSS from Raytheon for blanket coastal waters surveillance and then design the response systems from there.

http://www.raytheon.com/products/ucss/



Matthew.


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## SHF (17 Nov 2005)

Ex-Dragoon,

I believe the Navy will eventually enjoy the adavantages offered by a UUV, and we will see DRDC working on that requirement.  All your roles are reasonable, but I beleive it will come down to money in the end.  FELEX, JSS(BHS), OPVs are probably much higher on the Navy list of priorities.  Another distraction is manning shortfalls for all ships.  This too will consume more money and staff time to fix.  

Other than early warning how would you use an UUW in ASW and what method of remote control will the UUV use?  Will it be autonomously operated?

A couple possibly hard questions to answer.

Cheers


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## Ex-Dragoon (18 Nov 2005)

SHF said:
			
		

> Ex-Dragoon,
> 
> I believe the Navy will eventually enjoy the adavantages offered by a UUV, and we will see DRDC working on that requirement.   All your roles are reasonable, but I beleive it will come down to money in the end.   FELEX, JSS(BHS), OPVs are probably much higher on the Navy list of priorities.   Another distraction is manning shortfalls for all ships.   This too will consume more money and staff time to fix.
> 
> ...



Money is always the deciding factor unfortunately, although I would exchange the OPVs out for the Single Surface Combatant class in the list of naval priorities.

As for your questions....tough ones but I think we could use the UUVs in the following:
1) To engage the sub using its own onboard weapons or using it as a kamikaze(would get very expensive in war time although cheaper then losing a ship)
2) Anti Torpedo defense- firing off its own noise makers/onboard weapons/or placeing itself in the path of an incoming torpedo.
3) Have a UUV as a decoy
4) develop a mini towed array and deploy it on our flanks

As for operation, I would think autonomously but for certain roles preprogrammed with a retrevial at the end of it duration.


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## Monsoon (18 Nov 2005)

Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> 4) develop a mini towed array and deploy it on our flanks


Sounds something like the RMHS (Remote Minehunting System) that's being trial for the Kingstons.  It's basically a remote-controlled side-scan sonar that can operate out ahead of the ship to find mines.  It's operated via radio control through an antenna mast that sticks up out of the water, which is possible because the gear doesn't need to be particularly deep to do it's job.  Replace side-scan sonar with a passive array and it sounds like you're in business.


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## TAS278 (18 Nov 2005)

I am a member of Route Survey and work in conjunction with the MCDV and their currently inoperable 511 Sidescan sonar system. RMHS is just an idea being tossed around the table. The closest thing to this is FDU's ROV's. Until this project is finished there will be no RMHS. Where are these trials going on? I haven't heard of these at all. If you would like more details about RMHS or Mine warfare and it future in the Canadian Navy, Plz PM me.


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## Monsoon (18 Nov 2005)

TAS278 said:
			
		

> I am a member of Route Survey and work in conjunction with the MCDV and their currently inoperable 511 Sidescan sonar system. RMHS is just an idea being tossed around the table. The closest thing to this is FDU's ROV's. Until this project is finished there will be no RMHS. Where are these trials going on? I haven't heard of these at all. If you would like more details about RMHS or Mine warfare and it future in the Canadian Navy, Plz PM me.


The RMHS was trialed for a few weeks late last year out in Victoria.  The acquisition project is staffed and funded, but I don't recall the timeline for deployment.  Q1 2007 sounds familiar.


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## TAS278 (21 Nov 2005)

In the east coast RS office there are no serious intentions of acquiring this system until it has been decided what role Canada is to play in Mine Hunting. We officially have no means of mine hunting safely. The systems we do have are out dated or out of action. The towed bodies we uses now are not an ideal way of detecting a mine all though they are quite capable of doing it. I am not sure if we will waste money on a system we might not use....


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## Monsoon (21 Nov 2005)

TAS278 said:
			
		

> In the east coast RS office there are no serious intentions of acquiring this system until it has been decided what role Canada is to play in Mine Hunting. We officially have now means of mine hunting safely. The systems we do have are out dated or out of action. The towed bodies we uses now are not an ideal way of detecting a mine all though they are quite capable of doing it. I am not sure if we will waste money on a system we might not use....


They certainly aren't going to acquire anything without doing a capability definition, but they're developing one now.  The direction from above is that Canada will keep a naval anti-mine capability.  Also, I'm not sure that this is something that the Route Survey cell at Trinity would be directly involved in at this stage - as you say, they won't waste brain cells on it before there is some measure of support for it from NDHQ.


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## Kirkhill (2 Dec 2005)

No doubt to the consternation of some the Pentagon continues to take UUVs seriously.  I doubt if it will be 20 to 30 years before this stuff is fielded.

UUV ASW Barrier - scalable which means it might eventually supply an alternative to patrols under the ice by non-existent Canadian nuclear or other AIP subs.




> Pentagon Contract Announcement
> 
> 
> (Source: US Department of Defense; issued Dec. 1, 2005)
> ...



http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.16851726.1133540294.Q5BzxsOa9dUAAHeSPdQ&modele=jdc_34


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## Kirkhill (6 Dec 2005)

There's also this from today's Defense Industry Daily.



> UUV Swarms to Find Submarines?
> Posted 06-Dec-2005 02:25 | Permanent Link
> Related stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Design Innovations, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Sensors - Aquatic, Submarines, UUVs & USVs
> 
> ...



http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/12/uuv-swarms-to-find-submarines/index.php#more


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## CougarKing (6 Jul 2014)

The USN develops a UUV that literally swims like a tuna.









> Norfolk, Va. —- *The Navy is testing a stealthy, 4 foot-long fish-shaped autonomous underwater vehicle* designed to blend in with undersea life and perform combat sensor functions, service officials explained.
> 
> The so-called “bio-memetic” undersea vehicle is currently being developed as part of the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell,  or CRIC – a special unit set up by CNO Adm. Jonathan Greenert in 2012 to explore the feasibility of rapidly turning around commercially available technologies for Naval military use.
> 
> ...



source: defensetech - July 2, 2014


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