A system to integrate unmanned undersea vehicles with a submarine host platform
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Authors
Calvert, Willard
Cohn, Rachel
Goodman, Gail
Heidt, Brian
Lojek, Joseph
Malecki, Sarah
Powell, Brian
Subjects
Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance
Virginia Class Submarine
Launch and Recovery
System Engineering
Design for Reliability
Littoral Operations
Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance
Virginia Class Submarine
Launch and Recovery
System Engineering
Design for Reliability
Littoral Operations
Advisors
Green, John M.
Date of Issue
2011-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Submarines offer a capability to deploy and retrieve unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV) in littoral and blue water Areas of Operation while avoiding detection. Integration of the submarine and UUV through a launch and recovery mechanism offers unique challenges with respect to host submarine safety, UUV recovery, UUV replenishment and life-cycle costs. The Capstone team elicited launch and recovery system requirements from stakeholders and conceived four (4) advanced alternatives and a baseline alternative considered to meet the requirements. Through functional, cost, risk, modeling and qualitative analysis, this study assessed the value of each alternative to stakeholders. Of the concept alternatives explored, a high tech option featuring a carbon fiber structure, electromechanical pulse launch and recovery device and proximity vice contact battery charging and UUV stowage features provided the best value to the stakeholders for the investment. These results highlighted characteristics, including maintenance considerations, upgradeability, design for reliability and design for universal applications considered paramount for a successful system. Project lessons learned uncovered significant risk due to instability of UUV requirements as well as certification issues which adversely affect a submarine/UUV integration project. Early communications between key stakeholders must effectively address these short-comings.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Systems Engineering (SE)
Organization
Identifiers
311-094S
NPS Report Number
NPS-SE-11-006
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.