USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Thomas D Barron

David Michael Nugent

Christopher F Hillenbrand

Thomas A Frank

Walter J Gomes, Jr

A system and method is disclosed for retrieving an untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV in which the untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV may be retrieved through the torpedo tube of a submarine. The untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV has a capture cable extending therefrom with a transducer to produce a homing signal. A tethered homing signal seeking UUV is guided toward the homing signal. Capture arms on the tethered homing signal seeking UUV engage the capture cable and guide the capture cable to one of several cable snagging eye-members. The winching cable is then winched back into the torpedo tube thereby drawing the untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV into the torpedo tube.

Method and apparatus for retrieving an unmanned underwater vehicle

Apparatus for interconnecting an unmanned underwater vehicle and a free-fting communications pod includes a communications cable depending from the pod and extending to a buoy of less buoyancy than the pod, such that the cable carries communication signals between the pod and the buoy and extends generally vertically in a column of water between the pod and the buoy, the buoy being in communication with a distal station. The apparatus further includes a mobile unmanned underwater vehicle having therein guidance means for directing the vehicle to the cable, the vehicle being in communication with a control vessel, connector means mounted in a nose portion of the vehicle and adapted to intercept the cable, the connector means being further adapted to permit the cable to slide therethrough as the vehicle continues movement after the intercept of the cable, and complementary alignment means on the vehicle and the pod adapted to cause the vehicle to engage the pod in a preselected orientation and azimuth, with the communication components of the UUV and pod in alignment, whereby to place the control vessel in communication with the distal station.

Apparatus for interconnecting an underwater vehicle and a free floating

A device for acoustically shading selected portions of the projected acouc signal from an omnidirectional transducer array being towed through a fluid. The device consists of an acoustically transparent, cylindrical outer covering attached to the transducer array by means of bearing assemblies. The bearing assemblies allow the device to freely rotate about the array. Sound absorbing material is placed on the interior side of the covering along a top portion and a bottom portion of the circumference. The bottom portion is weighted so as to maintain the orientation of the device with respect to the surrounding fluid as the array twists or rotates. The sound absorbing material prevents or shades the acoustic signals projected from the array from striking and being reflected from the fluid surface and the bottom layer of the environment. The cylindrical shape of the device fits easily over existing circular shaped towed arrays and also minimizes hydrodynamic drag as the array is towed through the fluid.

Towed array acoustic projector shading device

An underwater apparatus release mechanism disposed on an unmanned underwa vehicle. A launcher body is joined to the underwater vehicle with a fixed release guide thereon. A shroud is positioned over the front of the underwater apparatus which is disposed on the fixed release guide. A holddown strap is fastened about the shroud, underwater apparatus, and fixed release guide assembly and releasably joined to the launcher body by to release pins. The release pins are joined to a sliding plunger. The plunger is in turn connected to a solenoid which can cause movement of the plunger to release the holddown strap. Hydrodynamic forces cause the shroud and underwater apparatus to slide along the fixed release guide until they are free of the underwater vehicle.

Underwater apparatus release mechanism

A submarine trails one fiber optic cable and an undersea vehicle is contred by this first cable. A missile/torpedo trails a second cable that is to be coupled to the first cable. The second cable has a segment suspended vertically underwater between a buoyant pod and a sea anchor type buoy. The undersea vehicle, or Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, (AUV) hunts for the pod by conventional homing means. A forked cable pickup device in the nose of the AUV captures the suspended cable segment directing it into a slot so a male socket in the underside of the pod mates with a female socket in the slot.

System for effecting underwater coupling of optical fiber cables

A submarine trails one fiber optic cable and an undersea vehicle is contred by this first cable. A missile/torpedo trails a second cable that is to be coupled to the first cable. The second cable has a segment suspended vertically underwater between a buoyant pod and a sea anchor type buoy. The undersea vehicle, or Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, (AUV) hunts for the pod by a conventional homing transmitter, and a fork-shaped cable capture probe on the vehicle direct the cable's movement relative to the vehicle into a pod mating position in which a male plug portion in the underside of the pod mates with a female socket in a slot formed at the vertex of the fork. An interlock mechanism between the male socket and female socket holds the pod and AUV in engagement wherein optical coupling is achieved.

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Portsmouth, RI, United States of America

Thomas D Barron