Working under the umbrella of an industry alliance, Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and Nautronix Ltd initiated an interactive project agreement to develop a demonstration navigation and communications system for use with UUVs. The resulting system was trialled during Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Mine Warfare Exercise, DUGONG, in November 2005.

The concept underlying the DSTO and Nautronix project was to develop a mid-sized UUV to be used to deliver and lay a small number of self-surfacing buoys that will form the basis of a self initiating, long baseline navigation and communications array.

Nautronix specialises in the development and applications engineering of advanced technology for through water communication and positioning systems for defence, commercial oil and gas and ocean science markets. DSTO was able to bring to the project the versatile UUV research platform ‘Wyamba’, along with long-standing experience interfacing new experimental technologies into the vehicle.

In its simplest form two buoys carry a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and acoustics communication hardware developed by Nautronix. These form the basis of the navigation system dubbed ‘NAVSONG’, Navigation Via Sonic Notation of GPS.

The buoys can also carry two-way communications hardware. This complementary system comprises a Networked Sonic Gateway (NETSONG), and it provides UUVs with command and control communications connectivity with the outside world.

This technology provides the UUV with the ability to navigate for long durations without the need to surface for GPS fixes.

DSTO UUV Technology Group Head, Roger Neill said DSTO recognised that industry already had a through water communications capability and that it was pointless to try to match it.

‘We felt that we could value add to their through water communications technologies program by bringing our submersible research vehicle to the table and the net result has been a win, win result for us both,’ said Dr Neill.

The Mine warfare exercise brought together a number of Defence and industry bodies to demonstrate the benefits of interoperability between manned platforms, unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Participants in exercise DUGONG included RAN, DSTO and industry partners Nautronix, Sonartech Atlas, Aerosonde and Tenix.

Wyamba was included to test the ability of UUVs to contribute productively to various stages of the preparatory phase of shallow water operation with a particular focus on achieving an initial rapid environmental assessment (REA).

An amphibious remote littoral assault scenario was created. Operational objectives included undertaking preliminary surveys of potential landing sites, and on selection of a particular site, completion of a detailed survey, in a covert manner, to determine its suitability for a landing operation.

A mine warfare vessel simulated an operational command vessel in the exercise and UUV equipment was used to conduct an initial REA and a follow on detail survey of a proposed landing site. A pair of Aerosonde UAVs were also utilised, with one acting as a communications relay between Wyamba and the control vessel, and the second undertaking aerial surveillance operations.

Dr Neill said the demonstration highlighted the strengths and limitations of the unmanned technologies when applied to operations.

‘It also confirmed that the technology DSTO and Nautronix have been developing has the potential to be used in the future in an operational environment,’ he said.

‘We have proven the concept and we are satisfied that it is viable, so the next step is to refine the technology so that it is representative of a truly operational system. For example, The test buoys are currently two meters long and are hand-deployed. DSTO and Nautronix are now working to miniaturise these so they are part of a system that the submersible vehicle can deploy.’

Background attachment

In the mid 1990s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) began researching the potential of unmanned underwater technologies for the Royal Australian Navy.

DSTO unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technology group head, Roger Neill said senior Maritime Platforms Division management recognised that the world was starting to move towards the use of unmanned vehicles to undertake surveillance.

‘DSTO initiated its own research program because we recognised that while Australia could tap into the research from overseas resources, we have a unique environment that would require our own investigations,’ Dr Neill said.

Mine warfare was the original focus of the research but this focus was soon expanded to include other aspects of navy operations said Dr Neill. DSTO is now providing research support to sponsors from several branches of the Australian Defence Organisation.

The concept of tracking UUV by coupling Global Positioning System surface receivers with acoustically-transmitted information was not a new one, self deployment on the other hand was.

DSTO in partnership with Nautronix Ltd decided to investigate an alternative concept in which a mid-sized UUV carries and deploys its own self-calibrating long baseline system into its area of operations. On deployment of the long base line acoustic tracking system both the delivery UUV and other vehicles in the vicinity will be able to use its transmissions to derive their own locations. The research has focused on autonomous operation, navigation and communication.

Nautronix is making a significant investment in this project. They are providing expertise in underwater acoustics and electronics while DSTO’s expertise is the vehicle and integration of the Nautronix technologies into the vehicle.

Video Clip - Wyamba On Screen Display