USV
THE UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLE IS COMING OF AGE
In the unmanned vehicle arena, aircraft have received the most attention.
But, the Navy has recognized the value of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and are using or testing a number of innovative programs.
USVs can be particularly useful in shallow, high-traffic seas where much of the Navy’s future operations are likely to occur.
Several USVs will be linchpins for the future Littoral Combat Ship. This class of relatively small, fast vessels can be tasked with a multitude of missions. USVs will conduct much of the antisubmarine, mine countermeasures and surface warfare missions for the littorals.
The Navy has four classes of USVs, according to Captain Paul Ims, program manager for unmanned vehicle maritime systems, Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare, Washington Navy Yard.
• Fleet Class I—usually a vessel with a 36-foot hull used on a littoral ship
• Semi-Submersible Snorkeling Vessel—used for towing sonar, mine warfare
• Harbor Class—with 23-foot hulls, used for maritime security, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions located around ports and closer to shore
• Small Class—non-standard, supports various navy missions
“We’re interested in standardization,” said Ims. “We don’t want to have to re-design the vessel every time we come up with a new mission.”
One of the larger programs will use USVs as remote mine hunting systems. The semi-submersible snorkeling remote minehunting vehicle (RMV) would tow a variable-depth sensor to detect, localize, classify and identify bottom and moored sea mines at a safe distance from friendly ships. The RMV transmits real-time mine sonar images to its host ship over a data link system. “This system is undergoing operational testing and will be deployed,” said Ims.
Another type of USV would conduct anti-submarine warfare. It carries a dipping sonar, can get quickly to an area, ping for subs and can deploy sonar source and receiver sensors.
USVs can also be utilized for maritime interdiction. “A USV could, for example, provide the other set of ‘eyes’ as a vehicle is being boarded,” said Ims.
Weaponizing USVs is also being evaluated.
“The Navy is looking at putting capabilities in the hands of the warfighter and learning lessons before making a major commitment to a program,” said Ims.
Some of the key challenges the Navy and its industry partners are working on include autonomy—the ability of the USV to sense its environment and maneuver, as well as how and when to transmit data. A fully autonomous vessel could do the bulk of its mission without operator intervention.
Then, there are issues such as ensuring the USV has a reliable collision avoidance system; how payloads such as weapons and cameras can be integrated into USVs; and being able to effectively launch and recover USVs in challenging environmental conditions. “The Navy must be able to fight anywhere—anytime—regardless of high seas,” said Ims. “We also need USVs with redundant systems and that are ruggedly designed so the ships can continue to operate for long periods of time.”
BAE Systems has partnered with Rafael Armament Development Authority and Lockheed Martin to offer the Protector, an unmanned integrated naval combat system. BAE Systems’ role in the program is to lead the marketing effort and to adapt the Protector system to unique customer requirements in the U.S., according to Steve Kelly, director of naval systems, BAE Systems. Lockheed Martin’s role is to lead marketing efforts with the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Integrated Deepwater System program, and to adapt the Protector system to customers’ command and control systems. “We did a worldwide survey when we decided to enter the market and we decided on the Protector as the most mature system,” said Kelly.
The Protector is designed to be a tactical system. “It’s compatible for United States military service now. It’s not a test bed,” emphasized Kelly.
The Protector uses the Toplite electro-optical pod which enables detection, identification and targeting systems. The Mk 49 Mod 0, 7.62 mm mini-Typhoon weapon system, with a stabilized gun platform and computerized fire control system, is integrated with the Toplite.
When the weapon system is operational, the Protector requires two operators. One operator can control operations of the boat, such as navigation and surveillance.
The second operator for the weapon system is needed for safety reasons and so there is always positive control. “Positive control is required for weapons control, so that a human with proper authorization and training is always in control of the weapon, and that a human decision is made to authorize weapons release, or gun firing,” explained Kelly. He added, “That why we dedicate an operator’s console to the weapon on the Protector.”
Interest has also been expressed in the Protector being fitted out with non-lethal systems so it can interact with other vehicles as opposed to shooting them, according to Sean Patton, senior manager for business development, Lockheed Martin Littoral Ships and Systems. “For example, light dazzlers can be placed on the Protector’s stable gun mount and can be pointed at the threat and blast them with light,” said Patton. Hailers can also be used.
Deterrence is a big issue. Sailors typically have to get within weapons range of another vessel to act as a deterrent threat. “With the day-night surveillance capability of the Protector, it can go in quietly and surveil an area,” said Patton. “This can be especially valuable to special forces teams, as the insertion and extraction points, which are the most dangerous, can be surveilled first.”
Last year, Protector performed a series of demonstrations throughout the United States, including participating in the SeaHawk 06 Naval Exercise, which focused on force protection and anti-terrorism. “We demonstrated command and control of the Protector in excess of six miles,” said Kelly. “And that range could easily be increased greatly by simply placing the antenna higher.”
The Navy’s first operationally deployed USV was the Spartan Scout. It was deployed to the Arabian Gulf aboard the USS Gettysburg as part of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group in late 2003. The commander of the Enterprise Strike Group at that time, Rear Admiral (now Admiral) James Stavridis, referred to the Spartan Scout as a harbinger of transformation, much like the Flyer, the Wright brothers’ first powered aircraft.
The Spartan Scout became an advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD) in fiscal year 2002. Singapore, France and the U.S. Army also participated in the ACTD, according to Dr. Vick Ricci, technical manager of the Spartan Scout ACTD and director of Sensor and Sonar Systems Science and Technology at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, R.I.
The ACTD focused on a 23-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) as the hull of choice. “We didn’t want to spend time on a platform, but wanted to focus on looking at core technology,” said Ricci. Another consideration for the future was that all current Navy ships have a 23- foot RHIB, “So why not make it a USV,” explained Ricci.
The Spartan Scout was able to be rigged out for four different mission modules:
• Force Protection—using the M2 machine gun with a stabilized electrooptics system
• Precision Equipment—such as the Javelin missile
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)—based on FLASH (Folding Lightweight Active Sonar for Helicopters)
• Mine Warfare—using the AQS-24 Side-Scan Radar
The Spartan Scout was used as deployed force protection while on the USS Gettysburg. “Initially, the Spartan operator was required to plan the mission—put in wave points—and the USV would follow a track but the operator could adjust course and speed,” said Ricci. “Since then, the technology has reduced the burden on operators. The Spartan is more semi-autonomous—where the USV does more mundane tasks and frees up the operator.”
Or, as Ims put it, “USVs are great for dull, dirty or dangerous missions.” At this time, if aspects of the USV program are developed by the government, the government provides the training. If industry partners have done more of the development, they provide the training. “Currently, there are no specific training schools for USV operators,” said Ricci. “But with USVs being transitioned into the Littoral combat program, it’s likely that military school house training will be developed.”
Ricci anticipates that future USV training would become more missionfocused than operator-focused.
General Dynamics Robotics Systems, headquartered in Westminster, Md., is developing the next generation of Spartans. The company is also developing the Draco USV system for ASW operations. A company presentation describes some of the key features of the Draco. A foldable arch provides the ability to raise and lower surveillance sensors while maintaining a level operating attitude for the sensors. This enables the Draco to operate using onboard sensors for launch and recovery while the arch is retracted, and perform mission operations with the sensors in a more optimal location with the arch raised.
The Draco will be capable of being launched and retrieved in sea states up to SS4 with the sea frame operating on best heading both with and without the mission payload installed. Sea state four is defined as a rough sea with winds at 11 to 27 knots and average wave heights of four to eight feet.
“One key military requirement for larger USVs (in the 38 by 42 foot range) is the ability of the boat to operate at sea state four and to survive at sea state six,” said Randy Gongre, unmanned systems project manager for the Edgewater, Fla.-based Brunswick Commercial and Government Products Inc. Sea state six is defined as a high sea with winds at a strong gale of 41 to 47 knots and average wave heights of 13 to 20 feet. “Our program is different,” said Gongre. “We have the Sentinel family of USVs.” Boat lengths in the Sentinel program range from 15- to 38-feet. “But, really, any size boat in our inventory could be a candidate to be a USV,” said Gongre. “We can recommend a boat based on user requirements.”
Brunswick is working with the Office of Naval Research to develop optimum USVs for military use. “The technology is maturing at the right time,” said Gongre. “There have been improvements in control technology and short-range communications, and there is an increased bandwidth available.”
The Navy is trying to use their common control system on the USVs, “Which would make the learning curve flat,” said Gongre. “We integrate into the Navy control system—we don’t build our own. The last thing the military wants is for a company to show up with a new system to learn and to maintain.”
Brunswick concentrates on their core competencies, which, according to Gongre, are boats, propulsion and control systems.
Gongre expects that autonomy will take a jump in the next few years. “USVs aren’t that autonomous in their decisionmaking yet, but improved obstacle avoidance will help with that issue,” said Gongre.
He explains that it’s easy for a USV to detect an object, while it’s harder for the USV to figure out what the object is, “And it’s even harder for a boat to autonomously determine what to do about the object.”
Gongre expects to see Sentinels doing missions by the third quarter of fiscal year 2008. He points out that Brunswick is the world’s largest recreational boat builder. “I would like for us to be the supplier to non-boat building USV companies.”
The Navy hasn’t overlooked the increasing emphasis on alternative fuels either. The Sea Fox was developed for the Office of Naval Research as the first unmanned, ship deployable, high-speed, alternative fuels air gunnery target towing training system. The 16-foot, approximately 1,600 pound boat runs on JP-5 or JP-8 fuel, but in a pinch can run on practically any fuel other than gasoline that is onboard a Navy vessel, including vegetable oil. Sea Fox was built in Seattle by Northwind Marine Inc.
Northwind designed the software and systems that control the boat and its powerful engine that allows the vessel to reach speeds of up to 40 knots at sea state three (a moderate sea with winds at seven to 10 knots and average wave heights of two to four feet). Applicable missions for the Sea Fox range from anti-terrorism/ force protection to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to combat search and rescue. The vessel has eight video cameras and a hailing system. Sea Fox is in a demonstration period at this time, according to Bruce Reagan, president, Northwind Marine. Sea Fox is being used in some innovative ways other than the standard USV missions.
“Sea Fox is being used as a gateway to collect and transmit information from unmanned subs and transmit information to and from a surface trailer,” said Reagan. He continued, “And in the near future Sea Fox will be able to communicate with aerial vehicles.”
Reagan also pointed out that the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey recently conducted a joint exercise with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that involved Sea Fox. “The Sea Fox had a radiation detection sensor mounted on it and successfully found and evaluated some low-level radioactive material that had been placed on a vessel in the San Francisco harbor,” said Reagan.
Innovation, improving technology and imagination will ensure that USVs become essential tools of the warfighter. ♦