Assignment 3.4 -
Research Blog 2: Unmanned Maritime Systems
Don Moore
UNSY 501 Applications
of Unmanned Systems
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
The Future of UMS
If someone were to mention an unmanned vehicle most of us
would probably think that they were talking about a UAS, UAV, or Ariel
Drone. The reason behind this thought
process is because until recently unmanned maritime vehicles (UMV), Unmanned
underwater vehicles (UUV), and Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail
Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) have been quietly advancing underwater away from the
scrutiny of the world.
In May of this year deputy Secretary of Defense Robert
work appeared at the Atlantic Council and spoke about a topic called Third Offset
Strategy. The deputy secretary explains,
“The
Third Offset is really kind of simple at its core. It basically hypothesizes
that the advances in artificial intelligence and autonomy – autonomous systems
– is going to lead to a new era of human-machine collaboration and combat
teaming” (Pomerleau, 2016).
Additionally, he was quoted saying that “Collaboration is using the
tactical acuity of a computer to help a human make better decisions and
human-machine combat teaming is using manned and unmanned platforms” (Pomerleau,
2016). One example of the collaboration,
which the Deputy Sec. Speaks about is the use of the Navy’s prototype, unmanned
sub-hunting ships. One of the sub
hunting ships is the Sea Hunter, it weighs about 140 tons and extends 130 feet
in length (McCaney, 2016). To be politically correct the vessel is
actually an Anti-Submarine warfare Continuous Trail unmanned vessel or
ACTUV. The uniqueness of this vessel is
that unlike many other developing UUV’s the Sea Hunter can travel farther, stay
out longer and can be launched from a peer, which would save the Navy the
trouble of integrating it with another ship (McCaney, 2016).
Taking the third offset
into consideration, collaboration can be made with the Sea hunter and the Echo
voyager. The Boeing “Echo Voyager is a new approach to how
unmanned undersea vehicles will operate and be used in the future,” said Darryl
Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works” (McCaney,
2016). Boeing officials also state that unlike unmanned aerial vehicles, which can transmit ISR data
and be operated via the airwaves, submerged vehicles often are tethered in
order to maintain communications links. The Echo Voyager will be able to
operate independently, can collect data while at sea, rise to the surface, and
provide information back to users in a near real-time environment,” (McCaney, 2016). I believe that one of the
most fantastic features of the echo Voyager is that it can stay out at for six
months straight. The reason why this vessel can stay out for this extended time
is because it has its own battery charger aboard which allows the vessel to
self-charge.
I believe that one of the
most interesting things that the deputy secretary of defense state it was that “the Pentagon is not trying
to create machines that can write their own code, make decisions, or lock out
humans from intervening (McCaney,
2016). The deputy sec. also went on to ensure everyone that Skynet from
the movie The Terminator was not being created” (McCaney, 2016). In my humble
opinion the future of unmanned vehicles will be promising as long as we as
humans understand that these unmanned vessels should not be used until they’re
proven to be safe. I also believe that
we his humans need to be a little more open-minded; the unmanned vehicles are
not here to takeover our lives and leave us jobless. I see a future when most of us will understand
that everything operating unmanned is actually an extension of ourselves.
References
McCaney, K. (2016, March
14). Boeing's new autonomous UUV can run
for months at a time' Defense Systems. Retrieved from https://defensesystems.com/articles/2016/03/14/boeing-echo-voyager-uuv.aspx
McCaney, K. (2016, April
12). Large, sub-hunting drone 'the shape
of things to come' Defense Systems. Retrieved from
https://defensesystems.com/articles/2016/04/12/darpa-actuv-unmanned-ship-christening.aspx
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