APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR NEUTRALIZING UNDERWATER MINES

• US 20150225049A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: FAIRFIELD, Scott W., LAVIOLETTE, Kerry D., ROBERTSON, Donald J., ZAMOJSKI, Ronald D., WIEDEMEIER, Gary L., CUSCHIERI, Joseph M., MARCHANT, Christopher E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,260,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/00 Buoys floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06; means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/24 container type, i.e. having provision for the storage of material
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2007/005 Unmanned autonomously operating mine sweeping vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/002 unmanned
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 7/00 Mine-sweeping; Vessels characterised thereby
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 7/02 Mine-sweeping means, Means for destroying mines
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/28 Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 9/00 Other offensive or defensive arrangements on vessels against submarines, torpedoes, or mines
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 19/00 Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines having additional propulsion means for movement through air F42B17/00; Sea mines having self-propulsion means F42B12/00 takes precedence; launching means F41F; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; automatic control of course G05D1/00; firing directors or calculators G06G
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 22/42 with anti-sweeping means, e.g. electrical

Abstract

A mine neutralizing device that includes a buoy. The buoy includes a mine neutralizing device capable of swimming to an undersea mine to neutralize it. A method for neutralizing undersea mines includes locating an undersea mine, placing a buoy containing a mine neutralizer near the mine, and swimming the mine neutralizer to the undersea mine.

Claims

1. A method for neutralizing an undersea mine comprising:

locating an undersea mine;

placing a buoy containing a mine neutralizer near the mine; and

deploying the mine neutralizer from the buoy; and

directing the mine neutralizer to the undersea mine to neutralize the undersea mine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein placing a buoy containing a mine neutralizer near the mine includes moving a vehicle carrying at least one buoy to a position near the undersea mine.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the vehicle is unmanned and controlled from a remote location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein placing a buoy containing a mine neutralizer near the mine further comprises:

moving a unmanned vehicle carrying at least one buoy to a position near the undersea mine; and

releasing the buoy containing a mine neutralizer from the unmanned vehicle, wherein moving the unmanned vehicle and releasing the buoy is controlled from a remote location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the mine neutralizer from the buoy includes removal of an arming pin as the mine neutralizer is deployed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the mine neutralizer from the buoy includes opening a door associated with the buoy and moving the mine neutralizer to a position clear of the buoy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein directing the mine neutralizer to the undersea mine includes receiving feedback from the mine neutralizer as the mine neutralizer is moved to the mine.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving feedback from the mine neutralizer includes receiving positional data from the mine neutralizer.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving feedback from the mine neutralizer includes receiving visual data from the mine neutralizer.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving feedback from the mine neutralizer includes receiving visual data from the mine neutralizer, the mine neutralizer being connected to the buoy via an optical cable.

11. A system for neutralizing mines comprising:

a buoy that further includes;

a transceiver for sending and receiving signals;

a processor; and

memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a mine neutralizer housed within the buoy;

a mechanism for moving the mine neutralizer to a position clear of the buoy; and

a heading sensor for determining a heading of the mine neutralizer, the mine neutralizer controllable remotely via a communicative couple to the buoy, the heading sensor providing feedback to the buoy.

12. The system for neutralizing mines of claim 11 wherein the heading sensor includes a plurality of hydrophones for:

detecting sounds produced by a moving mine neutralizing device; and

determining a location of the mine neutralizing device from the detected sounds.

13. The system for neutralizing mines of claim 11 wherein the buoy includes a GPS receiver for determining a position of the buoy.

14. The system for neutralizing mines of claim 11 wherein the buoy further comprises:

a fiber optic card communicatively coupled to the processor and memory;

an optical link to the mine neutralizing device.

15. The system for neutralizing mines of claim 14 wherein the optical link to the mine neutralizing device includes an optical fiber connecting the mine neutralizing device to the buoy.

16. The system for neutralizing mines of claim 11 wherein the buoy further comprises a mechanism for pulling an arming pin of the mine neutralizer that is associated with the mechanism for moving the mine neutralizer to a position clear of the buoy.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising a remote control station communicatively coupled to the buoy, the remote control station receiving data from the buoy and sending commands to the mine neutralizer by way of the buoy.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

an unmanned remote control vehicle for deploying at least one buoy; and

a remote control station communicatively coupled to the unmanned remote vehicle, the remote control station receiving data from the unmanned vehicle and sending commands to the unmanned vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the unmanned vehicle further comprises:

a main body having a bow end and a stern end;

a propulsion unit attached to the stern end of the main body;

a rail system attached to the main body between the first end and the second end of the main body, the rail system adapted to hold at least one buoy assembly to the rail system as the propulsion unit drives the unmanned vehicle; and

a deployment mechanism for controllably releasing the at least one buoy from the rail system.

20. The unmanned vehicle of claim 19 wherein the propulsion unit is shrouded.

21. The unmanned vehicle of claim 19 wherein the buoy assembly includes a fairing and a neutralizer buoy, the buoy assembly attached to the rail system of the unmanned vehicle.

22. The unmanned vehicle of claim 21 wherein the main body includes at least one hook movable between a retain position and a deploy position, the hook moved to the deploy position to launch the buoy assembly from the unmanned vehicle.

23. The unmanned vehicle of claim 22 wherein the fairing includes a door through which the hook extends to the neutralizer buoy, the fairing falling away from the neutralizer buoy upon deployment.