This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Feature 5 | UNMANNED VEHICLES
designed and developed through funding existing system(s) but is intended to commercial off-the-shelf equipment and
from the US Office of Naval Research, be another ‘tool in the toolbag’ and is the fourth and final strand of the MCM
shares software and subsystems with force-multiplier allowing other assets to Mid-Term Coherency Programme”.
REMUS 100, but offers extended conduct operations independently.” He added: “The systems will be
endurance (more than 70 hours), According to the MoD, the Recce embarked on dedicated MCM platforms
increased payload capacity, and greater UUV will be capable of deployment and or deployed and integrated throughout
operating depth (down to 600m). recovery from any ship with a one tonne the general Fleet. They will enable the
The vehicle configuration selected crane or davit, although it is expected navy to demonstrate its effectiveness as
to meet the Recce UUV requirement that they will primarily be operated from an MCM asset while gaining operational
features: an Edgetech 2200S (850kHz) Hunt class mine countermeasures vessels. experience to de-risk the Royal
sidescan sonar; an Imagenex Delta-T A simple but robust cage system will be Navy Future Mine Countermeasures
(1.7MHz) multi-beam imaging sonar; an used to launch and recover the vehicle. Capability programme.”
Edgetech 2200-S (4-24kHz) sub-bottom In addition, the Recce UUV will be Introduction to service with the
profiler sonar; a Kearfott Inertial individually deployable to support rapid Portsmouth-based Fleet Unmanned
Navigation Unit; a Teledyne RDI Acoustic theatre entry by sea, land or air. This will Underwater Vehicle Unit is planned for
Doppler Current Profiler/Doppler enable the Royal Navy to undertake mine March 2009.
Velocity Log; a Neil Brown conductivity reconnaissance well in advance of the The first system completed magnetic
and temperature sensor; a Paroscientific arrival of conventional MCM forces. ranging in the UK during January 2009,
pressure/depth sensor; a Wetlabs FLNTU According to Lieutenant Commander and will subsequently be transported
water clarity sensor; and GPS, WiFi and Paul Guiver, MCM requirements to Greenock to perform training with
RF communications. manager in the Defence Equipment Royal Navy personnel. Harbour and sea
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence and Support organisation’s Underwater acceptance trials were due to run from late
(MoD) said: “The MCM Recce UUV Systems capability development group, January through to early February in Kyle
will greatly enhance existing Royal Navy the Recce UUV represents “a fine example of Lochalsh. The second system is due for
MCM capability. It will not replace of utilising low technological risk acceptance in mid-2009. WT
The Recce UUV will be primarily used for mine countermeasures operations, hydrographic surveys and environmental monitoring in
support of other operations; it will have a secondary role in support of search and salvage operations.
32 Warship Technology March 2009
WT_Mar09_p29+30+31+32.indd 4 3/4/09 9:40:29 PM
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36