Unmanned Surface Vehicles for ASW Barrier Operations

BlueZone Group is pleased to announce the award of a Defence Innovation Hub contract for a Concept Exploration Phase study for Offboard Detection, Classification and Localisation (Offboard DCL) using unmanned systems.

BlueZone Group and partners propose to develop a highly automated system to contribute to Navy surface combatant Offboard DCL capability and extend the effect that modern combatants can make to Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). The concept is based around integrating existing sonar and information processing sub-systems into an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) which can be deployed to extend the sensor surveillance coverage of the parent ship. The system will comprise USV equipped with sonar to automatically detect, classify and localise submarine contacts and automated track generation and management capability which will pass tactically useful track data to the parent ship and then throughout Navy task groups.

BlueZone Group CEO, Neil Hodges, said that he was very pleased that BlueZone had the opportunity through the Defence Innovation Hub process to contribute to future concepts for unmanned systems operations for ASW. “BlueZone is an experienced and capable Defence SME”, said Mr Hodges, “with nearly twenty years of experience in support of unmanned systems used for mine countermeasures, we are well placed to support the development of innovative ideas for unmanned systems in new roles.”

BlueZone Group CTO, Darren Burrowes, said that the miniaturisation of electronics and the maturation of unmanned systems capability presented the opportunity to innovate by introducing new payloads to support ASW concepts. “Unmanned Surface Vehicles can now be reliably deployed for many Defence and civil tasks,” said Mr Burrowes, “by introducing innovative payloads there is the opportunity to provide persistent and ubiquitous sensing at sea for ASW operations.”

BlueZone Group will lead a team of local SME’s working in a collaborative way to deliver the Innovation Hub contract. Acacia Systems (Hendon, SA) will provide advanced tracking algorithms drawing on work completed for the Integrated Sonar System supplied to the Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyer. Sonartech Atlas (Macquarie Park, NSW) will provide specialist design, development and support for acoustic processing aspects of the innovation. 

The Offboard DCL innovation applies automation to a range of existing tactical ASW functions including deployment of offboard sensing systems, sonar and command classification processes and tactical track management and reporting procedures. To fast-track and minimise risk from the innovation the approach will be to make use of proven sub-system building blocks using technology jointly developed by Defence and local industry. The innovative systems approach to adding a comprehensive level of autonomy and automation to tactical ASW should also encourage a similar degree of doctrinal innovation within the ADF ASW community. The Offboard DCL innovation is designed to align with contemporary ASW concepts such as extended tactical surveillance and the use of unmanned systems to enhance Navy capability.

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