As increasing demands continue to be placed upon naval forces across the contemporary operating environment, European maritime forces are on the verge of successfully exploiting autonomous mine countermeasure (MCM) technology to not only save levels in manpower but also extend operational effectiveness.  

The successful detection and removal of mines in the maritime environment remains a critical requirement for maritime forces seeking to maintain the security of waterways and oceans around the world, a strategy which has seen the likes of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy support a dedicated MCM Force in Bahrain since 2003. 

However, the introduction of autonomous MCM capabilities, which promises to allow maritime forces to find, fix and neutralize mines without loss of human life, could also allow commanders to free up personnel to undertake other demanding security missions such as those currently being conducted in the Strait of Hormuz following the detention of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) by the Iranian Republican Guard Corps in August.

UK, France roadmap

As a result, autonomous MCM concepts of operation currently being devised by several maritime forces in Europe are heavily focused on the design and development of scalable and modular solution sets capable of accommodating a mix of manned and unmanned surface vessels — autonomous underwater vehicles, towed sonars and tethered remotely operated vehicles — integrated and networked to tactical operations centers via robust communications connections. 

According to BAE Systems, which is tasked with supporting Thales, L3 ASV, Wood & Douglas and Saab as part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s and French Defence Procurement Agency’s Maritime MCM (MMCM) program, this mix of platforms and technology is specifically designed to deliver an "autonomous and remotely operated MCM solution" to maritime forces operating at reach. 

With an aim to provide an operational solution to U.K. and French maritime forces for a two-year evaluation, the MMCM concept features a unmanned surface vehicle with integrated autonomous navigation system and obstacle detection and avoidance sonar; remotely operated vehicle with threat identification and neutralization capability; towed synthetic aperture sonar and autonomous underwater vehicle technology featuring similar SAS technology with multi-aspect functionality. 

“They will perform their tasks autonomously with control from a host ship or shore-based [control] station via high-data-rate communication links ... meeting the operational requirements of both nations, incorporating state-of-the-art technologies including very high-resolution multi-view imaging sonars and sophisticated analysis tools to provide unparalleled levels of performance in automatic threat recognition and classification,” BAE Systems literature says.

MuMNS deployment

By the end of 2019, both British and French navies will be equipped with the Multi Shot Mine Neutralization (MuMNS) ROV manufactured by Saab, officials confirmed to Unmanned Systems. 

According to Chris Lade, engineering and defense sales manager at Saab, each navy will receive a single MuMNS solution following successful "end to end" testing in Brest, France. 

The news follows the ROV’s first concept demonstration in May 2019, which saw the MuMNS deployed by an autonomous launch and recovery system on board Thales UK’s Apollo concept, which features the Halcyon USV. The L3 ASV officially launched a pair of Halcyon MCM USVs on Dec. 17 to support the Anglo-French MCMM evaluations, which are due to begin in 2020. 

As Lade tells Unmanned Systems, MuMNS comprises a “next-generation mine disposal vehicle with onboard sonar and cameras” designed to locate and identify targets, including underwater targets; ground, moored, floating and drifting mines; depth charges; torpedoes and improvised explosive devices. 

Made up of the USV itself and the "Storm" mine disposal magazine and mine disposal system, which features a disruptor with integrated Remote Command Initiated System (RCIS), the MuMNS has been designed to provide end users with a flexible capability over legacy one-shot systems. In addition, greater cost effectiveness over legacy solutions means the MuMNS can also be used to support training serials, Lade says. 

“MuMNS is a new operational concept for mine warfare,” Lade says before describing how the system has a 12 nautical mile operational range when autonomously launched from its sponsoring USV. The MuMNS is then directed to a target area through navigation by waypoints, with final approach to a target or mine like object  manipulated by a human-in-the-loop. 

A single MuMNS is also capable of carrying a total of three explosive charges in a variety of form factors, including shaped charge and immunization unit. A training round can also be integrated. Charges are deployed by the MuMNS’s retractable arm which is used to attach the payload to the target, before the AUV then withdraws itself to a safe distance. 

A radio frequency receiver, connected to the charge, is then disengaged remotely, floating to the surface of the water by a tether up to 300 meters long before being initiated from the USV or sponsoring surface vessel via an RF signal. RF receivers have been designed to withstand rough sea states up to 4 knots, Lade says.

Efforts elswhere

Similar efforts in autonomous MCM capabilities are also being undertaken elsewhere in Europe through a collaboration between Belgium and the Netherlands following the selection of French original equipment manufacturers Naval Group and ECA Group to deliver an autonomous MCM program.  

According to company officials, the consortium was officially contracted in March to replace the legacy MCM capabilities of the Belgian and Dutch navies with a “comprehensive, integrated and cyber-secure solution at a cost-effective ownership cost.”  

Program requirements, official documentation describe, include the development of a toolkit of off-board MCM technologies, designed to allow maritime units to successfully conduct stand-off missions through the modular and scalable deployment of USVs; AUVs; ROVs; towed sonar arrays; and communications networks. 

The program, worth approximately 1.8 billion euros, is due to supply both navies with a total of 12 MCM surface vessel motherships and toolkits of sub-systems, capable of allowing each navy to independently undertake countermine operations anywhere around the world.  

Vessels will replace legacy and dedicated minehunters currently in service with Belgian and Dutch navies with initial deliveries due to run from 2024 to 2029. An initial operational capability is desired to be met the following year, company officials say. 

The program calls upon Naval Group and ECA Group to devise a technology group capable of supporting autonomous MCM operations in permissive, non-permissive and expeditionary environments at depths down to 300m. CONOPs also call for unmanned technology subsets to be supported by manned assets, including clearance dive teams. 

An ECA Group concept for a new countermine network. Image: ECA Group

ARCIMS above, SeaCat below

According to ECA Group, the joint effort will devise a mix of autonomous capabilities from its own suite of unmanned MCM integration system, which features unmanned surface and underwater vehicles as well as towed sonars and drones, in addition to technologies from Germany's Atlas Elektronik. 

Atlas Elektronik has also been drafted to provide elements of its integrated mine countermeasures system; ARCIMS USV; and SeaCat autonomous underwater vehicle. Additional components will include a towed sonar array and vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle. 

Atlas Elektronik’s ARCIMS USV can feature a variety of mission modules to support sweep, mine hunting and disposal and anti-submarine warfare, as well as supporting the operation of Northrop Grumman’s synthetic aperture sonar.  

With a top speed of more than 40 knots, the 11-meter surface vessel has the capacity to carry a maximum payload of four tons, including surface sensors such as radar and electro-optical payloads, company officials confirmed to Unmanned Systems. Similar to the Royal Navy and French Navy MMCM concept, ARCIMS can also be deployed via an autonomous launch and recovery solution, officials added. 

The SeaCat measures up to 3.5 meters long depending on mission configuration. With a maximum speed of six knots, the SeaCat can operate in water down to 600 meters with a maximum operating range of about 20 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 3 knots.  

The AUV is also capable of being operated in a tethered configuration as an ROV, providing operators with a maximum range out to 1,000 meters with a fiber optic cable. 
 
Standard payloads include the Edgetech 2205 Side Scan Sonar and Tritech Micron DST Scanning Sonar systems. However, a modular "SwapHead" design means sensors can be rapidly traded out to respond to emerging mission requirements. Examples include the R2 Sonic Multi-beam echo sounder for bottom topology mapping; Norbit Wideband Multi-beam Sonar and video camera for bathymetric images; and pan-tilt frame video camera and imaging sonar for inspection. 

All selected subsystems in the Belgian and Dutch navy requirements will be supported by a combat management suite in the form of a Center for Maritime Autonomy (CMA), according to an official statement from Atlas Elektronik. Such a concept aims to further extend autonomous capabilities, initially brought into service to support MCM missions, to additional operational requirements including anti-submarine warfare and the protection of critical national infrastructure.  

The Belgian navy is an "ideal partner to launch the CMA because it is agile and open towards new concepts such as the MCM toolbox," says a concept paper Atlas Elektronik prepared for the navy.
  
“In adopting a holistic approach to naval innovation, the CMA will enable the Belgian navy to play a pivotal role as a thought and practice leader on maritime autonomy in the 21st century,” the document says. 

The future of autonomous MCM capabilities across European navies will rest heavily upon the success of the Anglo-French two-year evaluation program due to commence in 2020. Once its operational effects have been realized in a real-time environment, the proliferation of USVs, AUVs, ROVs, towed sonars and UAVs looks set to follow in the medium term.

Above: Saab's multi-shot mine neutralization system, MuMNS. Image: Saab Below: MuMNS was one of the subjects of a visit of international countermine experts to Saab's U.K. headquarters in 2016. Photo: Saab.