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Bluefin Tested in Waters Around Naval Station Ingleside

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS030619-02

Release Date: 6/19/2003 4:38:00 AM

By Mike Antoine, Naval Station Ingleside Public Affairs

INGLESIDE, Texas (NNS) -- A handful of onlookers got a sneak preview of the future of mine warfare, June 10, aboard USS Falcon (MHC 59). What they saw was a demonstration of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) being operated from an Osprey-class coastal mine hunting ship.

Bill Schopfel, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) demonstration manager, stated that placing emerging technologies in the hands of Sailors during demonstrations was a means of getting better equipment into the hands our fleet operators faster. He explained that the work aboard Falcon was just the beginning of a two-year experimentation program designed to determine the feasibility of employing unmanned underwater vehicles in conjunction with the ships organic sensors.

If successful, the vehicle, known as Battlespace Preparation Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (BPAUV), should reduce the vulnerability to critical mine countermeasure ships, and help shorten the tactical time-line associated with surface mine-hunting.

"The Navy is always looking for faster, less expensive and safer ways of doing mine warfare," said Falcon Commanding Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Dave Glenister.

He added that being involved with the proof of concept demonstration was good for his crew, which launched and recovered the vehicle flawlessly.

"We welcomed this opportunity with open arms," Glenister continued. "It shows our Sailors that the Navy is serious about mine warfare - and they get to be a part of that. Besides - it's just plain fun."

The BPAUV weighs 800 pounds (1,000 wet), is 122 inches long, 21 inches wide, is powered by lithium polymer batteries and has an operational speed of 3 knots. The vehicle, once launched by crane from the mine warfare vessel, is an autonomous vehicle that travels on a preset course loaded into its program. With its side scan sonar, the BPAUV is able to detect and classify mine-like contacts in advance of the ship.

The demonstration was conducted over a two-week period in the Corpus Christi Operating Area. The crew of Falcon employed the BPAUV in several different mine warfare missions designed to demonstrate the feasibility of operating from a surface mine countermeasures (SMCM) platform and to evaluate increased mission effectiveness in terms of time and risk.

According to Royal Navy Lt. Paul Guiver, project officer for the SMCM/UUV Acquisition Program, the demonstration of the Bluefin Robotics technology provides a look at just one of several systems being considered by the U.S. Navy. Tests on a similar smaller vehicle, REMUS, are being conducted aboard USS Pelican (MHC 53).

Chuck Laughinghouse, who provides operational support to ONR demonstrations commented, "Unmanned underwater vehicles are the wave of the future of mine warfare. Keeping mine warfare assets out of the minefield is just over the horizon," he stressed.

Bob Grieve, of Bluefin Robotics, helped conceive and design the current vehicle for the Navy in an amazing 11-month period. He's pleased with the way the system has been working in a series of tests leading up to the June 10 demonstration. "We're getting great user feedback," he said. "Input from the Sailors is helping us determine what changes are needed."

The initiative was conceived by the Commander, Mine Warfare Command and the Chief of Naval Operations.