Navy, industry UUV reliability

ARLINGTON, Va. – As the Navy moves forward with unmanned surface and undersea vessels with multiple missions, some things remain constant. The vessels will need to continue making improvements in autonomy, reliable parts - without people around - and power sources for extended travels. The Navy and industry partners are working the area of “foundational” technology to cut across programs. Two years ago, the Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) program office decided to pursue common “core technologies” for its larger USVs and UUVs. In FY 2019, the UMS honed in on Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture to address autonomy software applications, Common Control System for command and control and communications, and lithium-ion batteries for the UUVs with greater endurance. The entire effort is to “establish the foundation, upgrades, and fighting capability,” said UMS program manager Capt. Pete Small, but also do the groundwork for “longer-term support and sustainment efforts” of the UUV and USV portfolios. FY-20 is bringing increased funding for those efforts: Combat system development for the family of USVs, and prototyping work at sea. As part of the Overlord program – which involves two large USVs the Defense Department purchased will pave the way to the Navy’s LUSV program, which was installed on the USVs for the Phase 2 testing last fall. Craig Perciavalle, president of Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala., which contributed to DoD’s Overlord USV prototyping program, said his company has been working on the reliability issue. “Where you get into the challenge is, spending 90 days at sea without something going wrong and having to address it.” Industry and Navy need to come to an agreement over how to handle that issue, Perciavalle and other speakers said. The question becomes a balancing act: Where do you resolve redundancy/capacity vs automation? That “tradeoff is something we’ve been working on (about) three years … and it’s something we’re taking to the table with the programs we’re offering today,” he said. (Source: USNI News 01/31/20) Gulf Coast Note: Austal USA builds Littoral Combat Ships and Expeditionary Fast Transport ships (EPF). https://news.usni.org/2020/01/31/navy-industry-pursuing-autonomy-software-reliable-hme-systems-for-unmanned-ships.