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www.sea-technology.com November 2014 / st 13 do not necessarily compete with manned assets for the complete mission set, the submarine community was early to promote and develop the capabil- ity of UUVs, initially through the Offce of Naval Research (ONR) and subse- quently through Na- val Sea Systems Com- mand programs. ONR's former Au- tonomous Operations Future Naval Ca- pabilities (AOFNC) initiative supported other more traditional ONR research and development efforts, including the early development of unmanned subsea navigation, communications, sensor and platform work that was essential before UUVs could achieve a reasonable technology readiness level (TRL). The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) is also fully engaged and is exploring cutting-edge ASW applica- tions for all types of unmanned systems in multiple projects. Need and Suitability While a manned nuclear submarine is without doubt the preeminent ASW platform due to its stealth, endurance, physical location within the operating environment, and end-to-end capabilities, there are practical limitations to its employment in shallow and otherwise denied waterways. UUVs offer unique methods of deployment, ingress and egress, and the capability to loiter or even to hibernate for very long periods—hence the "patient" aspect—adding to the portfolio of sensors that manned submarines can either directly launch and monitor, or use to tactical advantage if deployed from another platform. The fexibility of UUV de- sign should ideally enable UUVs to be employed not only as sensors, but as readily convertible offensive or defensive ASW mines or countermines, as "alternative" torpedoes, or T he proliferation of un- manned systems has to date been largely depen- dent on the urgency to re- spond to the exigencies of modern warfare and on the vanished acceptability of ca- sualties to our service men and women. While unmanned air and ground vehicles found their niche in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, un- manned undersea vehicles (UUVs) at- tracted far less attention, although they proved to be ideal for the diffcult and dangerous mission of mine countermea- sures (MCM). Now that UUVs have quietly been established as effec- tive and reliable in the toughest environment on Earth for commercial and scientifc applications, the cultural and tac- tical acceptance of these systems is increasing in perhaps the most demanding maritime mission set—anti-submarine warfare (ASW). This is especially true in view of the lim- ited availability and high demand for manned submarine assets, ASW aircraft and ASW-capable surface ships. This discussion will focus on the background, need, technologi- cal and tactical suitability, and conceptual framework for the employment of unmanned undersea systems, inherently "patient" and potentially "prolifc" technologies, in support of ASW. Background Much to the credit of the U.S. Navy submarine com- munity, the value of unmanned undersea and surface sys- tems was more readily realized, and the cultural resistance to adoption was far less, than experienced with unmanned air systems in the aviation community. With an understand- ing that unmanned systems increase operational reach and ASW and Unmanned Undersea Systems An Ideal Application of a Patient and Prolifc Technology By Dr. Rand D. LeBouvier While MCM has been the primary focus of unmanned undersea systems efforts, ASW is a logical next step in the capability development process.