Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 30) WARFARE UNDERSEA UNTETHERED AMBITION R&D broadens capabilities of autonomous underwater vehicles GESMA JORIS JANSSEN LOK•BREST, FRANCE utonomous underwater vehicles are getting smarter, more independent and more capable, and if current research bears out, may well become the undersea equivalent of fire-and-forget missiles. Technology leaders like French research agency Gesma, often working in partnership with suppliers and other science organizations, are testing advances in sensors and sonars that will permit AUVs to navigate, analyze their environment, assess threats and identify targets with no outside aid, in littoral or blue-water operations. The French navy will be the most immediate beneficiary of the work conducted by Gesma, which is part of the French defense procurement agency DGA. Frederic Dabe, head of 30 GESMA A French navy research vessel Thetis lowers Redermor AUV in water. The vehicle is used in such programs as self-navigation, environmental assessment and threat detection. Gesma’s UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle) Dept., says that while naval mine countermeasures utilize underwater robotics, the not-too-distant future will see new capabilities with the arrival of AUVs and autonomous surface vehicles (ASV), their topside counterparts. Today, the navy’s mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels include Tripartite-type minehunters. These deploy two assets: Double Eagle Mk II tethered UUVs from Saab Underwater Systems, with TSM 2022 Mk III mine-hunting and classification sonars, installed and hull-mounted, from Thales Underwater Systems (DTI April , p. 30); and PAP-104 mine-disposal vehicles, from ECA SA in Toulon, France. A second www.aviationweek.com/dti DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL JULY/AUGUST 2007 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aw/dti0407/index.php?startpage=32 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aw/dti0407/index.php?startpage=32 http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - July 2007 Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch Parallax Ghost Ship Low Visibility Red Tape Sub Catcher Boom Time Broad Access Fight or Flight Cut Loose Loud and Clear Drone On Postmortem The Net Cutting Edge On the Record In Review Insight Defense Technology International - July 2007 Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page Cover1) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page Cover2) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 3) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 4) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 5) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 6) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 7) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Around the World (Page 8) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Around the World (Page 9) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Science Watch (Page 10) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Science Watch (Page 11) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Tech Watch (Page 12) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Tech Watch (Page 13) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Parallax (Page 14) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Parallax (Page 15) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Parallax (Page 16) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Parallax (Page 17) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Ghost Ship (Page 18) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Ghost Ship (Page 18A) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Ghost Ship (Page 18B) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Low Visibility (Page 19) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Red Tape (Page 20) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Red Tape (Page 21) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Sub Catcher (Page 22) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Boom Time (Page 23) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Broad Access (Page 24) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Broad Access (Page 25) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Fight or Flight (Page 26) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Fight or Flight (Page 27) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Fight or Flight (Page 28) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Fight or Flight (Page 29) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Cut Loose (Page 30) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Cut Loose (Page 31) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Cut Loose (Page 32) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Cut Loose (Page 33) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Loud and Clear (Page 34) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Loud and Clear (Page 34A) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Loud and Clear (Page 34B) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Loud and Clear (Page 35) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Loud and Clear (Page 36) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Drone On (Page 37) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Drone On (Page 38) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Drone On (Page 39) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Drone On (Page 40) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Postmortem (Page 41) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Postmortem (Page 42) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - The Net (Page 43) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Cutting Edge (Page 44) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Cutting Edge (Page 45) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - On the Record (Page 46) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - On the Record (Page 47) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - In Review (Page 48) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - In Review (Page 49) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Insight (Page 50) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Insight (Page Cover3) Defense Technology International - July 2007 - Insight (Page Cover4)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.