DoD backing unmanned robo sub

DENVER, Colo. - A Houston-based startup, Houston Mechatronics, recently unveiled a transformer robotic submarine (unmanned underwater vehicle or UUV) that is backed primarily by firms in oil and gas exploration and partially by the Pentagon for deep-sea missions and mine-countermeasure missions (MCM). The Aquanaut UUV can move beneath the surface and transform into an insect-like robot to perform delicate operations at great depths. Co-founder Nicholas Radford expects additional financial funding from within the military. The near-term objective is MCM missions “in area-denied water, or where you don’t want the presence of a top-side vessel,” he said. (Source: Defense One 05/01/18) Gulf Coast Note: Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla., has been instrumental in mine-countermeasure missions, primarily for the Littoral Combat Ship.