The Navy is searching for methods to detect unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) in harbor, to provide greater protection for American ships.
"Armed UUVs presents a particularly compelling challenge," the Navy noted in a written research solicitation. "The mobility of UUVs limits the effectiveness of traditional mine countermeasures like change detection. The stationary nature of the assets that are being protected in harbors allows for slow and deliberate approaches by enemy platforms."
Resource: Read the solicitation
Current strategies for detecting and classifying UUVs use systems that were meant to detect combat swimmers and scuba divers. While they offer some protection against unmanned vehicles, "typical warning ranges do not provide a completely satisfactory response window," the solicitation notes.
The Navy wants a device that can detect an object the size of a Remus 100 UUV or larger from a distance of one kilometer. It should also support the Strategic Systems Program Nuclear Weapons Security WQX-2 program and the Naval Facilities Command Electronic Harbor Security System.
