Northrop Grumman awarded unmanned surface vessel contract from DARPA
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV), leading the way for a new class of ocean-going unmanned surface vessels (USVs).
Under the terms of the $2 million contract, Northrop Grumman will develop a concept, specifications and a manufacturing plan by the end of March 2011 for a persistent, autonomous vessel that can perform both ASW tracking and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance functions.
The ACTUV is intended to trail and monitor targets autonomously. A collection of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and advanced, customized sensors would provide the ACTUV's command and control system with the situational awareness it needs to respond to target behaviors. High-fidelity surface-navigation sensors and system constraints would help ensure compliance with the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and with maritime law.
"Our ACTUV solution will include a feasible vehicle that will be capable of quickly transitioning into an operational system - like the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, which flew in just 33 months," said Robert DuBeau, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit. "With our extensive experience in undersea and surface systems, we are well positioned to advance the state of the art in USVs."
Northrop Grumman leads a strong ACTUV team of technology leaders. These include Harris Inc. of Melbourne, Fla., a world leader in assured communications; Spatial Integrated Systems of Virginia Beach, Va., a premier USV autonomy provider; Vehicle Control Technologies Inc. of Reston, Va., developer of more than 340 vehicle control systems; and The Pennsylvania State University, Advanced Research Laboratory of State College, Pa., a leader in unmanned vehicle propulsion and power systems.
Over the past decade, Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit has successfully developed and integrated numerous USVs, including the US Navy's Spartan and the Naval Expeditionary Overwatch (NEO) USVs. To enhance flexibility and enable future growth as missions evolve, Northrop Grumman's ACTUV will employ open standards, COTS components and a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), all of which enable low-cost, high-volume manufacturing.
Northrop Grumman will also be drawing upon its extensive experience in developing and delivering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Combat-proven systems include the RQ-4 Global Hawk with 37,000 combat hours and the Hunter with 75,000 hours. Other unmanned naval systems include the carrier-capable X-47B and the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS). In all, Northrop Grumman has provided more than 100,000 unmanned systems to military customers.
Northrop Grumman has been a global leader in unmanned systems for over 60 years. This includes the recent DARPA Collaborative Network of Autonomous Vehicles (CNAV) program, which achieved over 10,000 at-sea Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) hours.
Source: Northrop Grumman
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
-
DroneShield to improve software of DroneSentry-X C-UAS system under new contract
DroneSentry-X, a cross-vehicle compatible, automated 360° C-UAS detect and defeat device, can offer 360° awareness and protection using integrated sensors. According to its manufacturer, it is suitable for mobile operations, on-site surveillance and on-the-move missions.
-
Ukraine takes delivery of new indigenous C-UAS systems
Funded by the country’s former president, the new C-UAS systems will be sent to the frontline where they have already been tested against Russian invading forces.