In the US, the development of an unmanned submarine hunter comes to an end

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) may start a new phase of testing an autonomous vehicle designed to detect and track diesel-electric submarines as early as 2016. This is a fairly advanced technical drone. At the same time, information about the presence of this drone the possibility of hitting enemy ships is not covered, but it is not refuted by the US military either.

The creation of the 40-meter unmanned vessel for spying on submarines in the United States began in the 2010 year. Apparently, this rather big sea drone weighing 140 tons is almost ready for use, test launches of the device will be held in January-February of the 2016 year. All the "iron" filling autonomous ship, which has already received the designation ACTUV - Anti-Submarine Warfare Continous Trail Unmanned Vessel (anti-submarine military unmanned ship of continuous tracking) is now ready for use, now American engineers are working on creating the necessary software that should allow ACTUV has been at sea for several months.

The main purpose of the ACTUV marine unmanned aerial vehicle is to track down enemy submarines in the world's oceans and to monitor them for an extended period of time. Scott Littlefield, who holds the post of director of tactical technology at the Defense Research Agency DARPA, noted that the main advantage of the project being developed is the fact that the cost of operating a fully autonomous vessel will be of the order of 15 − 20 thousand dollars a day.

It is worth noting that the 15-20 thousand dollars a day is substantially less than the daily expenses that the US military budget carries for the maintenance of one destroyer with a crew (about 700 thousand dollars). So far, the US military is not going to place on board the ACTUV any weapon. The Pentagon prohibits the installation of weapons on fully autonomous systems, but DARPA specialists themselves do not exclude such a possibility in the future. According to Littlefield, one of the main advantages of autonomous vessels of the ACTUV project will be that such a drone can carry much more cargo than existing autonomous devices launched from warships. So, it will be quite possible to install any weapon on board the vehicle if the decision is made. Scott Littlefield also told reporters that the American fleet is considering using the ACTUV apparatus not only to search and track enemy submarines, but also, for example, to search for naval mines.

It is worth noting that the first information about testing the sea-based unmanned vehicle ACTUV appeared in the spring of 2015. Then the information was spread that the agency DARPA conducted a series of first tests of an uninhabited vehicle, which is designed to search for submarines. As reported by Defense Talk, the UAV’s sea trials took place off the coast of Missouri and lasted 6 weeks. When the tests began and when they ended, the message did not specify.

It was reported that during the tests in 2015, the drone was able to independently navigate at a predetermined course. At the same time, there were various obstacles in the form of underwater reefs, shallow water, as well as surface vessels, which specially carried out unpredictable maneuvers. However, the ACTUV unmanned aerial vehicle, even under such conditions, managed to follow a given course, without ever encountering any obstacle. The Defense Research Agency DARPA stressed that the device made maneuvers in accordance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. At the same time, it became known that the test UAV is approximately 40 meters in length, and also that the drone is equipped with various modern navigation equipment and sonar.

According to one of the leaders of the ACTUV program, Scott Littlefield, an autonomous vessel will be able to work at sea for months, and in an independent mode without human participation. At the same time, he confirmed that the unmanned vehicle would necessarily take into account the presence of other ships and would fully obey the existing conventions and the maritime law, ensuring the safety of navigation.

The US military expects to use autonomous ships to search for the most "quiet" diesel-electric submarines that are in service with the Russian Federation, China and India. According to the US defense department, modern American nuclear submarines could successfully cope with this task, but their use for these purposes is economically inexpedient. It is worth noting that the revitalization of the American program aimed at creating an autonomous “hunter” for submarines coincided in time with the intensification of work on the construction of the Russian naval fleet. In the same 2010, when the US launched the ACTUV project, in Russia, the first diesel-electric submarine of project 636.3, Novorossiysk, was laid at the production facilities of Admiraltey Shipyards OJSC.

A total of six submarines of the 636.3 project were laid at the Admiralty Shipyards. All of them are intended for service in the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. According to the data of November 2015 of the year, four boats pledged to St. Petersburg have already been accepted to the fleet: B-261 Novorossiysk (22 August 2014), B-237 Rostov-on-Don (30 December 2014) , B-262 "Stary Oskol" (3 July 2015 of the year), B-265 "Krasnodar" (5 November 2015 of the year). Two more boats of this series are currently being built - the B-268 “Veliky Novgorod” and the B-271 “Kolpino” boats were laid on October 30 2014. It is planned that the series of submarines project 636.3 will continue. This was said by the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy Viktor Chirkov. According to him, the Main Command of the Russian Navy is considering the possibility of building submarines for this project for other Russian fleets. This has its own logic, since the submarines of the 636.3 project have good operational characteristics and combat effectiveness.

The submarines of the 636 "Varshavyanka" project and its upgraded version are the domestic development of the still Soviet project of the 877 "Halibus" boats. According to the NATO codification, multi-purpose diesel submarines of this type are called Kilo. Boats project 636.3 received increased power diesel generators, cruising range and speed of the full underwater course. According to the statements of the Russian military, the submarines of the 636.3 project are by far the quietest submarines in the world.

Information sources:
http://www.nanonewsnet.ru/news/2015/darpa-zavershaet-stroitelstvo-avtomaticheskogo-okhotnika-za-podlodkami
https://nplus1.ru/news/2015/04/23/hunter
http://www.rosbalt.ru/main/2015/11/12/1460308.html
http://hi-news.ru/robots/darpa-sozdalo-ogromnogo-drona-oxotnika-za-submarinami.html

Comments

[Major_Vortex]

Need an unmanned hunter hunter.

[Ruslan]

or maybe modify the torpedo from the package-nk enough, so that it would shoot and drown the robots. the idea is to be easy, the robot seems to be unmasking itself strongly with its sonars.

[Mera joota]

Quote: ruslan

the idea is to be easy, the robot seems to be unmasking itself strongly with its sonars.

Bllllllin ... so how? how can you write such an absurdity? Where does such ignorance come from? Victims of the exam?

[Ruslan]

oh expert! let's tell us. What, the sonar does not unmask the ships during its work? is it really impossible to make a torpedo guidance system? and yes, the school does not teach the basics of hydroacoustics, the search for underwater objects and other things. so it can be conditionally considered a victim of ege. such pontorezes are furious, it’s not necessary to explain that this is impossible as a normal person, we must post such an answer as cattle left. go to the other bark.

[Mera joota]

Quote: ruslan

such pontorezes are enraged, it’s not like a normal person to explain that this is impossible

A bl guess that hydroacoustic systems analyze noise, and not fart into the water is difficult? Even in children’s little movies about war, they showed how an acoustics HEARS the sea. Listens, but does not create a unmasking noise ...

PS: and in a normal school (at least at least earlier) there is a section of physics ACOUSTICS.

[c3r]

Hydroacoustic systems are of active and passive types. The second are those that are listened to in "children's movies", from them for "Varshavyanka" it is "Black Hole" according to the NATO classification, because the noise still does not differ in level from the noise of the ocean, but the first (that is, active), those are just the same in the water "poo.kayut" and by the reflected "p.uku" they detect objects (the sonar is called). That's what you can aim at them weapons.

[Mera joota]

Quote: c3r

Something so dear!

One more bl ... SONARs do not emit ANYTHING. Modern GAS are able to hear everything, mainly using low frequencies, but this requires extended antennas, both conformal and towed. the notorious "Varshavyanka" has long ceased to be a "black hole" because progress does not stand still ... unlike the design of "Varshavyanka"
It is all about distance, water temperature in layers, depth. Active detection tools use remote, mainly in active RSL. Not a single submariner will use active means in finding the enemy active means (if he has not survived from the mind).

[Ruslan]

hand face. where is listening to the noise? it is written in the article that on the drone, the sonars are leading an active location, even the first picture shows how it looks. means farts with sound impulses and catches the sound displayed from objects. what was discussed above. you need to read carefully what they write and talk about, rather than scattering show-offs. although perhaps it will have the function of a passive location for ambushes on boats.

ps remember I taught optics, I remember mechanics, I don’t remember acoustics :) although they taught about the propagation of sound in different environments, is that it? :)

[Lt. Air Force stock]

Quote: ruslan

or maybe modify the torpedo from the package-nk enough, so that it would shoot and drown the robots. the idea is to be easy, the robot seems to be unmasking itself strongly with its sonars.

The question is how to get away from surveillance in peacetime, most likely there will be a very powerful sonar, the drone itself will be able to move at a speed of 40 knots if necessary (which means that the submarine has no chance to break away from surveillance (moreover, the faster the submarine goes underwater the more it unmasks itself)), in addition, the drone will most likely be equipped with torpedoes, ASROC missile torpedoes and possibly some simple air defense systems, such as anti-aircraft guns and machine guns (maybe ESSM air defense missiles can be installed).

[2s1122]

Yes, not a drone is needed, but a competent programmer or computer hacker to crack a program (such a doctor Dr. Virologist ) of this drone

[Starover_Z]

Quote: Mayor_Vikhr

Need an unmanned hunter hunter.

Nope. The asymmetric answer is a pop-up capsule with floats and a solid net!

[igorka357]

Let them pour more money into child prodigies .. more !!!

[qwert]

So you need to develop an algorithm, as in a computer game, and then without problems it will be possible to bring down these hunters acting in the framework of a tough program. In addition, submarine custom actions can also disrupt the script of the program. Well, nobody has yet canceled the cover for submarine operations by aviation.

[Kalmar]

then without problems it will be possible to bring down these hunters acting as part of a tough program

I think, to fill up such a robot is a simple matter. But thereby the submarine unmasks itself: the enemy will immediately know in which square to look for it. Then anti-submarine aviation is included in the game, and the evening immediately ceases to be languid.

[Mera joota]

Quote: Kalmar

I think, to fill up such a robot is a simple matter

If you know its location in the ocean, then yes. So, you can "fill up" any underwater vehicle knowing where it is.
The issue is revealing it. He definitely has full electric movement, so go find him.

[Kalmar]

He definitely has full electric movement, so go find him.

Why? On batteries, it will not go very far, for sure there should still be a diesel or gas-turbine power plant, at least to recharge the batteries.

[Mera joota]

Quote: Kalmar

On batteries, it will not go very far

On lithium easily. See planned autonomy. There, the Japanese NAPL create pure lithium batteries, pure electric movement.

[shans2]

you can fill up with a pre-installed mine in any square tuned to the noise of these particular drones ...

[sa-ag]

For the Chinese, for a start, they’ll practice, the benefit is that the region is quite lively

[Belousov]

Official statements are certainly good. But the staff members constantly declare something encouraging, and then at least half of their statements turn out to be a notable "peremogue". So let's see how it really will be.

[Dam]

There is a key phrase: engineers are working on software that will allow you to be at sea for several months. As always with mattresses, bluffing

[sevtrash]

The next step in the development of drones, all in all.

[_KM_]

An interesting architecture of the ship is a kind of mini-zumwalt with outriggers. Curious what caused it?

[voyaka uh]

The same as that of Zumvolt. Stealth. For aircraft radars
AWACS and warships.

[marinier]

If all 4 is written corresponds to reality. This is a threat not only
submarine fleet.

[Pro100 people]

Or maybe he could try a torpedo against an electronic warfare drone, or what else do we have in stash?

[over]

The boat should throw out the net from especially durable material so that this wafer gets tangled in it and go to Belousov on board ...

[andrei72]

Quote: andrei72

It is interesting, HOW will the drone receive ENERGY, for constant movement for several months ??? WHERE FROM ??? The capacities of the most modern batteries are NOT ENOUGH for such work, and installing a diesel generator with a fuel supply will make an ordinary boat, only without a crew, but in this case, the ships would have gone without a crew for a long time ... It’s difficult to see so far feasible!

In short - bullshit all this !!!

[Lt. Air Force stock]

Most likely, such drones will be sent to the Mediterranean Sea, maybe to the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Arctic Ocean.

[shans2]

(Arctic) - so that they freeze there, ice, roll over and crush them with ice

[Lt. Air Force stock]

Quote: shans2

(Arctic) - so that they freeze there, ice, roll over and crush them with ice

The Barents Sea does not freeze, and no one will patrol along the northern sea route because of the ice cover, and they will not be allowed to go there, since our economic zone is there.

[aleksandrs95]

An long-range torpedo urgently needed is no worse than the American MK otherwise it is safe to destroy drones. + Autonomous detection means like mines and submarines.

[_KM_]

Quote: voyaka uh

The same as that of Zumvolt. Stealth. For aircraft radars
AWACS and warships.

What about outriggers?

[chunga-changa]

I wonder how he is with seaworthiness? Ships and more sink in storms, and even with a crew who is fighting for survivability. Here the simplest breakdown can lead to anything, and the drone becomes a floating object dangerous for navigation and it is supposed to be flooded. In addition, legal regulations will need to be settled. Now a ship without a crew, on the high seas, is considered "lost", regardless of whether it is moving or not. The ship's salvor has the right to count on a bonus from the owner, or in case of refusal of the owner, becomes the owner of the saved property. In general, now, when meeting with such a drone, you can officially take it in tow and demand a ransom or take it for yourself, there are of course nuances, but something like this.

[aleks.29ru]

Reflash on wi-fi everything and business.)

[Dan Slav]

Most likely we are talking about an addition to underwater surveillance networks around the US coast.
The drone can catch abnormalities in the signals from this network and draw conclusions about the presence of the submarine. The existence of an underwater and surface component will increase the accuracy and sensitivity of the detection system. Well, it will reduce the cost of operation.
It is unlikely that the US will launch these drones on a long voyage.

[Prutkov]

a ship without a crew is, first of all, a threat to shipping, because not everything can be predicted in the embedded algorithms. In the same way that NATO people are now squealing about the "threat to air traffic" from Russian military aircraft, one can very confidently talk about the threat to shipping.

[Mig32]

The boat emerges to the periscope depth, a swimmer emerges from it, hooks a cable to this miracle and pull it into its terra. water, then prove that he didn’t follow us himself)))

[tracer]

There are some "flashlights" that any drones are very afraid of. I think that for every tricky stern there is a "flashlight" with a thread.

[Redfox3k]

One normal electromagnetic pulse turns this drone into a "corpse drone". Then think the operator, why the connection with the drone was lost. Conclusion: This wunderwaffe is most likely designed to control the water area around the naval base, in the area of ​​which there are other means of controlling the area around this wunderwaffe.

[Dimon19661]

The main problem of this drone is that it can only operate in its or allied territorial waters, or under the supervision of a surface ship of the U.S. Navy. In neutral waters, any person who is the first to board it, according to the law of the sea, can declare it his property.

[Xwazilb]

Quote: Redfox3k

One normal electromagnetic pulse turns this drone into a "corpse drone". Then think the operator, why the connection with the drone was lost.

Yes, it remains only to develop a source of directional EMP.

In general, I don’t understand the lamentations about "our waters", the United States is a country with huge sea borders, such a patrol ship will not harm the defensive potential in any way.