By Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs
Representatives from 41 countries spoke with technology representatives during U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s sixth Maritime Infrastructure Protection Symposium (MIPS) May 13-15 during the kick off event to International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 2013.
Several new systems as well as new developments in previously proven systems were highlighted at the symposium.
Robert Simmons, Navy Underwater EOD assistant program manager, discussed the use of Marine Mammal Systems in the protection of critical infrastructure in the Gulf.
“Mammals are particularly well suited for precision location in a cluttered acoustic environment,” he said.
Simmons said mammals are also the “only asset capable of detecting, marking and neutralizing partially buried or buried mines.”
The U.S. Navy trains marine mammals to perform tasks that would take a team of well-trained people to do, and possibly several days to accomplish. Dolphins are intelligent animals and are capable of quickly identifying underwater objects and people, deftly maneuvering in tight spaces to reach them, and can repeatedly dive deeply without the dangers of decompression sickness.
The use of mammals is not new, but with mine countermeasures re-emerging with global focus, these agile, capable animals may again become a staple of identifying and marking potential subsurface hazards.
Several Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUV) were also showcased. UUVs increase persistence, flexibility and safety in the hunt for mines and other threats under the water.
The REMUS UUV was developed in the late 1990s by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. The U.S. Navy calls REMUS the MK 18 UUV, an underwater autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance vehicle that operates on a pre-programmed path for hours and surfaces at a set time at a set location with an enormous data packet on the acoustic survey of a harbor or waterway.
In addition, the Navy is developing Knifefish, a heavyweight Surface Mine Countermeasure (SMCM) UUV that is designed to hunt for buried mines and mines in high clutter environments with high confidence and low false alarm rates. Knifefish Flight 1 is equipped with low frequency broadband side scan sonar and operates in the littoral regions as part of the Littoral Combat Ship MCM Mission Package.
SeaFox is a mine neutralization submersible that has been adopted by the U.S. Navy and is being tested to replace/augment the older mine neutralization vehicles that are much larger and less sophisticated. The SeaFox system can be used to visibly identify and neutralize objects of interest, previously located by sonar from ships or other UUV systems.
Presenters also discussed developments for the future, such as air-dropped munitions that can neutralize mines in the surf zone, and even inland. The aerial Assault Breaching System (ABS) Countermine System (CMS) deploys dart-like projectiles that can render mines ineffective while naval forces and shipping vessels wait a safe distance away. This system also has the potential to neutralize other targets.
The MIPS symposium is held every 18 months and typically enjoys a multitude of international participants.
Additional information on the Navy Marine mammal program and the mandates that govern their treatment can be found at: http://www.public.navy.mil/spawar/Pacific/71500/Pages/default.aspx
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command is responsible for approximately 2.5 million square miles of area including the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, parts of the Indian Ocean, and 20 countries. U.S. Fifth Fleet's mission is to conduct maritime security operations, defeat violent extremism, and strengthen partner nations' maritime capabilities in order to promote security and stability in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.