USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

John E Sirmalis

Bernard J Myers

Pamela J Lisiewicz

William P Krol

Brian T McKeon

An extended range support module for an undersea vehicle includes an outer hull capable of accommodating the undersea vehicle therein. A navigation module is positioned on the outer hull and capable of being joined to the undersea vehicle. Controllable fins are provided on the outer hull and joined to allow control by the navigation module. A buoyancy control system is positioned within the outer hull and joined to the navigation module. An extended fuel tank is provided inside the outer hull between the outer hull and the undersea vehicle. The extended fuel tank is joined to provide fuel to the undersea vehicle. The navigation module can have GPS, inertial sensors, and sonar sensors to aid in navigation.

Extended range support module

A weapon system and method is provided to obtain damage assessment data immediately after impact of a missile. The missile releases the pod a short time before impact. The pod contains a parachute, a small camera and communications equipment. When released, the pod deploys the parachute to slow its descent and to direct the camera to the proper orientation so as to capture the impact and damage resulting from the impact. Using its communications equipment, the pod relays the impact and resulting damage data back to launch control. The system and method thus provide launch control with immediate battle damage assessments without requiring a launch platform to remain in the battle arena, or without requiring a reconnaissance platform to enter the arena to obtain the damage assessment data.

Immediate battle damage assessment of missile attack effectiveness

A system and method is provided to replenish a submarine's tactical capabilities, e.g., weapons, sensors and communications, while the submarine remains within a hostile environment. One or more Underwater Combat Vehicles (UCV's) are pre-positioned at strategic locations or are launched from a surface and/or airborne platform. The UCV's include full tactical capabilities, which can attach to and be integrated with a submarine's capabilities. To initiate replenishment, a submarine broadcasts a signal, or dispatches one of the UCV's under its direct control, to make contact with one of the pre-positioned UCV's or with a central command platform. The pre-positioned UCV's are programmed to search for and locate the submarine. This can either be accomplished using signals broadcast from the submarine, or using UCV internal navigation systems and a last known position for the submarine. Once located, communication between the submarine and UCV allows docking of the UCV onto the submarine.

Submarine launched unmanned combat vehicle replenishment

A system is provided in which a torpedo is launched from a submarine and pays out an optical fiber as it moves away from the submarine towards a target. The optical fiber is attached to the submarine and provides an optical communications link between the submarine and the torpedo. In addition to carrying communications between the submarine and torpedo, the optical fiber includes optical acoustic sensors. The optical fiber serves as a forward deployed acoustic array to gather target bearing and range data that is processed at the submarine. With the array deployed directly within the engagement arena, the submarine can more accurately analyze the acoustic environment to better guide the torpedo through countermeasure avoidance and to target acquisition. The optical fiber pays out behind the torpedo at the same rate that the torpedo moves away from the submarine. Thus, the optical fiber does not move in relation to the surrounding medium and flow noises experienced in conventional towed arrays are virtually eliminated from the array of optical acoustic sensors.

Multi-use torpedo dispensed single mode optical fiber

The invention provides an unmanned, autonomous, undersea platform which ends the sphere of influence of a host vessel from which it is launched. The platform is hydrodynamically and stealth shaped to minimize noise, wake and detectability of the platform. The platform includes advanced active and passive sensors for monitoring the undersea environment, high data rate RF and satellite communications capabilities for communication with the host vessel when necessary, forward deployed offensive and defensive weapons systems and sophisticated data processing to coordinate the sensing, communications and weapons systems with minimal direction from the host vessel. Prior to launch, mission directives are input to the data processors. Using artificial intelligence and neural network programming for decision making, the processors constantly update the platform's operating parameters to conform with changing environmental and threat conditions and to successfully complete the mission.

Autonomous undersea platform

The invention provides a hydrodynamically and stealth shaped suite of antas and sensors mounted above a hydrodynamically and stealth shaped mast. The mast is configured to extend from the sail of a submerged vessel to the surface so as to provide the vessel with satellite communications capabilities. The hydrodynamic shape of the mast minimizes the surface wake and the stealth shape of the antenna suite and mast minimizes the radar cross section of the system, lessening detection by hostile forces. To obtain a stealth shape, the radar suite utilizes a conformal phased array antenna. In addition, electro-optical sensors in the antenna suite provide visual, environmental and other sensing capabilities to the system. Further, structurally embedded ESM antennas provide ESM and radar capabilities. When in the retracted position, the antenna system conforms to the hydrodynamic and stealth shape of the submerged vessel and the conformal phased array of the antenna suite forms an integral part of the conformal phased array of the vessel.

Extendible planar phased array mast

The invention provides a system for attaching one or more unmanned, hydroamically shaped, autonomous, undersea platforms to the bow of a submarine. An array of depressions, each matching the shape of the platforms, is provided in the bow of the submarine, equally spaced about the circumference of the submarine. Once seated in the depressions and attached to the submarine, the platforms provide a smooth, hydrodynamic shape to the bow of the submarine. Additionally, conformal arrays on the platforms mate with conformal arrays on the bow of the submarine to form a continuous conformal array and the platforms' weapons systems provide the submarine with forward deployed weapons when the platforms are attached. A platform is launched by detaching it from the submarine bow and raising the leading edge of the platform slightly into the water flow around the bow. Hydrodynamic forces lift the platform away from the submarine for an acoustically quiet launch.

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Barrington, RI, United States of America

John E Sirmalis