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UUV put to the test
By LCDR Mike Pounder
Volume 50, No. 17, September 20, 2007 |
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UNDERWATER PILOTS: (L to R) LEUT Sara Lambden, POHSM Dean Forrest, LCDR Mike Pounder, CPOCSMMW Sean Killgallon, LSCSOMW Richard Kamprad and POCSSMW Sean Huron all undertook training for the REMUS at HMAS Creswell in August.
Photo: ABPH Craig Owen |
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GOING IN: LSCSOMW Richard Kamprad assists with lowering the REMUS 600 to the waterline at HMAS Creswell.
Photo: ABPH Craig Owen |
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Defence has taken delivery of a REMUS 600 Uninhabited Underwater Vehicle to assist in the development of an advanced mine counter-measure and charting capability.
LTGEN Hurley, Chief Capability Development Group, said in the same way that UAVs had revolutionised aerial surveillance, Uninhabited Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) had the potential to achieve the same breakthrough in the maritime environment.
“UUVs will provide an efficient way to conduct undersea search and survey. Charting the ocean floor through to minehunting will able to be conducted without exposing ships and divers to considerable risk,” LTGEN Hurley said.
“The ability to quickly survey or chart an area will greatly assist ADF operations when deployed into foreign waters, especially where they are likely mined or are poorly charted.
“The UUVs will also be invaluable in increasing the safety of Navy ships where the littoral environment has been extensively changed due to environmental events like undersea earthquake and tsunami,” he said.
Personnel from the MCD and HM FEGs have recently undertaken training in the pilotage, mission planning and maintenance of a REMUS 600 UUV.
This deep water (400m), long endurance (54 hours) state-of-the-art vehicle is easily programmed using a laptop PC.
Its high resolution sidescan sonar and suite of other sensors includes GPS, an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and an Iridium satellite telephone enabling it to contact its “home base” wherever it is deployed, informing of its health and whereabouts.
The first operational scenario for the vehicle will be FTA Dugong. Further trials will be scheduled during 2007/08 in various locations around Australia to measure performance in warm water, cold water, high currents and tidal windows. |
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