The US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Carderock Division has selected Sonardyne Inc.’s underwater target tracking technology to use at its South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility (SFOMF). Described as the largest, most comprehensive establishment of its kind in the world, Carderock Division is the US Navy’s research, engineering, modeling, and test center for surface and undersea technologies. Located close to the Gulf Stream, Carderock’s SFOMF offers a “demanding open ocean test environment” for subsea systems and UUVs being developed for the Navy, as well as the wider maritime industry. 

On Thursday, Aug. 16, Naval Oceanography personnel from Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi performed maneuvers with UUVs in the Mississippi Sound. The Navy's Fleet Survey Team (FST) prepares their UUVs — including those with sonar capability — to go up against the Naval Oceanographic Mine Warfare Center (NOMWC) and their underwater drones.

Riptide Autonomous Solutions launched its second generation “micro” UUV product during Oceanology International 2018 in London. Riptide says that the MK II product offers “significant improvements” over the MK I µUUV. With a focus on performance and manufacturability improvements, the new MKII µUUV has undergone a “near-total redesign of internal electronics.” As a result, it offers a “nearly 70% reduction” in hotel load power to 3.5 Watts, which extends vehicle endurance across the vehicle speed regime. New manufacturing approaches—including increased use of molded parts instead of 3-D printed parts—allows for “expanded depth ratings, faster production times and improved quality assurance.”

Riptide Autonomous Solutions says that the ease of integration of payloads into its product line of UUVs “has been a key value proposition for diverse customers,” and this flexibility was recently demonstrated by the quick integration of a new sonar and a WiFi data system. Recently, Riptide took part in a US SOCOM effort to evaluate diver assistance aids. During this program, a Klein 3500 Combined Side Scan and Interferometric Sonar was integrated into a Riptide 1MP 1 Man Portable 7.5” (190mm) diameter UUV/AUV in less than four working days. Successful field demonstrations followed this quick integration.