USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Helmut Portmann

Elan Moritz

Jan W Crane

David Everhart

Ronald Swart

A system for in-air deployment of objects utilizes an aircraft having a hatch that can be opened while the aircraft is in mid-flight. An air and pressure tight container stowed within the aircraft has a doorway that is sealed to and about the hatch from within the aircraft. Mounted within the container is an expulsion system for expelling objects from the container through its doorway and the aircraft's hatch. The container may be coupled and sealed to other containers to define a contiguous volume for storing the objects and allowing movement of the objects between containers.

Method and system for deployment of ordnance from an aircraft in mid-flight

A common payload rail externally supports a submerged payload from an unmanned marine vehicle. A vehicle interface module has a conforming surface rigidly secured to the unmanned vehicle and feed-through conduits. A functionality module is secured to the vehicle interface module and contains internal interfacing components to minimize or eliminate any modifications to the payload and vehicle. A payload interface module having feed-through conduits is secured to the functionality module and has longitudinally extending rail structures sized to engage correspondingly shaped longitudinally extending receiving means on the payload. The longitudinally extending rail structures are shaped to extend into longitudinally extending receiving means on the payload to arrest lateral displacement between the payload interface module and the payload and at least one securing mechanism on the payload interface module is disposed to engage the payload to arrest longitudinal displacement between the payload interface module and the payload.

Common payload rail for unmanned vehicles

An inflatable barrier system halts an approaching boat. A barrier support platform houses a pressurized gas source and a power supply and has a winch connected to a pair of cables. An inflatable barrier body member having a bow and stern is coupled to the pressurized gas source for inflation of the body member and the cables are connected to the bow and stern to deploy the inflated body member at the surface of the water and to maintain the bow above the surface and the stern below the surface of the water. A barrier controller provides signals indicative of the approaching boat to initiate the inflation of the inflatable barrier body member and the deployment of the inflated barrier body member at the surface with the bow above the surface and the stern below the surface without inflicting excessive damage to the boat or injury to its occupants.

Command inflatable boat stopping barrier

An underwater water cannon defense system includes an underwater vehicle, a water cannon coupled to the vehicle, one or more nozzles mounted on the vehicle and directed away therefrom, and water distribution valving mounted in the vehicle that distributes pressurized water to the water cannon and the one or more nozzles in a controlled fashion.

Underwater water cannon defense system

A mine clearing device comprises a substantially hollow body forming a cavity. An eccentric ballast is disposed within the cavity and is rotated by a motor powered by an internal power source, thereby imparting rotational motion to the device. A plurality of anti-axial projections of varying lengths and sizes are mounted on the outer surface of the body to interact with the terrain and, thus, impart unbiased motion to the body as it rotates and traverses a mine field. The outer surface of the body is made of blast resistant material. A shock absorbent material, disposed within the cavity, absorbs the explosive force of mines. Circuitry or a marker substance may be used to record or mark the path traveled by the device.

Mine clearing device incorporating unbiased motion

A mine clearing device has an outer body forming a cavity capable of holding a pressurized substance, a conduit in the outer surface for expelling the pressurized substance from the body to thereby cause the device to rotate and traverse a mine field, and a plurality of anti-axial projections on the surface of the outer body that interact with the terrain to impart unbiased motion to the body as it rotates. A regulator controls the flow of the substance and a nozzle directs it as it exits the conduit. The outer body is made of blast resistant material. A shock absorbent material, disposed within the shell, absorbs the explosive force of mines. Circuitry or a marker substance may be used to record the position of the device.

Mine clearing device incorporating pneumatic thrust and unbiased motion

Launch and recovery of an aerial vehicle by a forwardly moving surface vehicle relies on a winch module having a winch to selectively reel out and reel in a towline and a sensor capable of sensing tension in the towline. A lifting body assembly having a pair of lifting bodies and a snagging wire is connected to the towline. The lifting bodies lift and laterally extend the snagging wire between the lifting bodies. An aerial vehicle flying through the air engages the snagging wire by a hook. A first signal representative of tension of the towline causes the winch to reel in the towline and to bring the aerial vehicle to the surface vehicle, and a second sensor associated with the hook generates a second signal representative of tension in the hook and causes the aerial vehicle to cut its motor.

Unmanned aerial vehicle catcher

An unmanned system is provided for the handling and delivery of a plurality of operational payloads. Each of a plurality of standardized shipping containers houses an operational payload, a controller that controls functions of the operational payload, and communication means that communicates with the controller. A structure is provided for supporting the shipping containers in a fixed relationship to one another so that the shipping containers can be handled and transported collectively by moving the structure. The structure is equipped with means to facilitate data transfer with each shipping container's controller.

System for the combined handling, delivery and/or protection of multiple standardized containers and their controllable payloads

A launch and recovery system for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) includes a watercraft with a stern endwall movable between a vertical position and a ramp position that is angled downward toward the water surface. A storage platform mounted on the watercraft and terminating at the stern endwall defines a storage area for UUVs. An arm is pivotally mounted to the watercraft at a position forward of the storage platform. The arm has an outboard end that can be extended to positions aft of the watercraft and on either side thereof. The arm is also retractable such that its outboard end is positionable over the storage platform. A capture mechanism is mounted to the outboard end of the arm and is used to capture a UUV that maneuvers thereto in the water. A homing mechanism is coupled to the arm and is used to transmit a homing signal through the water for use by the UUV in maneuvering towards the capture mechanism.

Launch and recovery system for unmanned underwater vehicles

An unmanned, real-time, printed material generation and dispersal system includes a standardized shipping container houses at least one printing module capable of generating printed materials, a controller module for controlling the generation of the printed materials and monitoring status of the printing module, a communications module for communicating with the printing module and transmitting the status to a remote location, and a dispenser for receiving the printed materials so-generated and expelling them from the shipping container.

Container-based system for generation and dispersal of printed materials

An unmanned system is provided for the delivery and control of an operational payload. A standardized shipping container houses the operational payload. Mounted in the shipping container are a controller for controlling functions of the operational payload and a communication module providing for communication with the operational payload via the controller.

Standardized container payload delivery and control system

A system is provided for slowing the speed of a product released into the air from an aircraft. A flexible material wrapped about a product includes a tethered portion thereof that is collapsible against the product prior to release thereof from the aircraft. The tethered portion expands to form an air drag device after the product is released from the aircraft.

Product wrapping incorporating air drag device

An unmanned product dispensing system includes a standardized shipping container having at least one product module mounted therein, a controller module for controlling distribution of the products from the product module and monitoring status thereof, a communications module for communicating with the product module and transmitting the status to a remote location, and a dispenser for receiving and expelling the products so-distributed under the control of the controller module.

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Panama City Beach, FL, United States of America

Helmut Portmann