Lockheed Martin has successfully launched a small unmanned aircraft from an underwater robot, in coordination with an unmanned surface ship.
The Vector Hawk UAV was launched from a Marlin MK2 autonomous underwater vehicle during the Navy's Annual Naval Technology Exercise. The test also featured a Submaran unmanned surface vehicle.
"The Submaran relayed instructions to Marlin from a ground control station via underwater acoustic communications," according to a Lockheed Martin news release. "Following these instructions, the Marlin launched the Vector Hawk using a specially-designed canister from the surface of the Narragansett Bay. Following launch, Vector Hawk successfully assumed a mission flight track. All three autonomous vehicles — Marlin, Submaran and Vector Hawk — communicated operational status to the ground control station to maintain situational awareness and provide a means to command and control all assets."
"This effort marks a milestone in showing that an unmanned aircraft, surface vessel and undersea vehicle can communicate and complete a mission cooperatively and completely autonomously," said Kevin Schlosser, Lockheed Martin's chief architect for unmanned systems technology.