Despite prolonged military conflicts in the past two decades, The United States have seen little action in the maritime stage. This is due to the nature of current conflicts. The latest military interventions have taken place in the middle east, in the desert environment, and against a non-conventional enemy. Things could rapidly change as diplomatic tensions with countries such as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran continue to deteriorate.
In order to maintain a combat-ready naval force, the United States NAVY continues to develop, test, and advance their combat capabilities. Among the latest initiatives is the NAVY's plan to outfit their littoral combat ships (LCS) with anti-mine mission packages. The plan was revealed last month by the executive director for the Program Executive Office of Littoral Combat Ship (PEO LCS) Nidak Sumrean. Littoral Combat Ship or LCS is a type of small surface vessel designed to operate close to the shore, also known as the littoral zone. According to officials the first LCS with mine-counter measures (MCM) will be ready to be tested on the coasts of California in late 2017. Although the testing will include the remote multi-mission vehicle (RMMV) which currently tows the AN/AQS-20A mine-hunting sonar, the NAVY intends to replace it with the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) and the Knifefish UUV both of which carry sonar. Additional systems that will be part of the test also include the Airborne Lase Mine Detection System as well as the Airborne Mine Neutralization System. The NAVY understands the importance of garnishing this capability which is why it has placed great emphasis on training sailors despite not having the ability to implement the CUSV and the Knifefish on their next test. Although these systems have been in the plans for a few years, previous budgetary requests have been denied. Once these systems become operational, the NAVY will effectively increase the endurance and range of sonar operations, giving the NAVY the ability to stay on target without immediate refueling.
In addition to the Littoral Combat Ship plan, the U.S NAVY secured congressional support for its Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV). The NAVY has expressed the desired to rapidly acquire multiple unmanned systems, as well as weapons and payloads associated with these systems. Vice Admiral Joseph Murray, deputy chief for naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, expressed his desire to acquired these systems, and confirmed a recent LDUUV package upgrade which includes the procurement of 16 small and five big UUVs. Admiral Murray added that once these systems were tested, packages will be updated. The LDUUV program package will provide the more operational endurance, reliability, and autonomy. Battery life continues to be a limiting factor in UUV design. The Naval research laboratory along with their civilian counterparts continue to focus in the topic of UUV endurance in an attempt to address the battery issue. Phase one of the LDUUV plan will see the delivery of two UUVs by 2019, followed by phase two which includes two additional prototypes. Prototypes will be integrated with a ship, or submarine to support advanced performance and technology assessments.
The United States, however, is not the only nation boosting the development of unmanned maritime systems. NATO's Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) is also developing the next-generation UUVs which are equipped with a wide array of advanced sensors with on-board processing capabilities. One of NATO's most advanced UUVs is the MUSCLE which is also a MCM UUV equipped with high resolution, high frequency synthetic aperture sonar and a high level of autonomy. The MUSCLE was showcased on September of this year in exercise "Olives Noires" in support of conventional mine-countermeasure operations. The exercise, designed to enhance co-operation, involved participants from Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, France, and Germany all who witness the effectivenes of the MUSCLE UUV.
The development of unmanned maritime vehicles may not be as popular as the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, but it is indeed growing. As diplomatic tensions continue to rise, the development of unmanned maritime vehicles will continue to gain importance.
References
Navy to test littoral combat ship's anti-mine systems at-sea by next fall. (2016).InsideDefense.Com's SitRep, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1834293867?accountid=27203
Official: Navy has congressional support for LDUUV acquisition strategy. (2016).InsideDefense.Com's SitRep, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1834793316?accountid=27203
http://www.cmre.nato.int/news-room/blog-news-archive/42-rokstories/330-enhanced-operational-readiness-for-cmre-underwater-vehicles
http://www.secnav.navy.mil/rda/Pages/PEOLCS.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment