Posted on 12/07/2013 2:04:56 PM PST by gandalftb
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) with funding from SwampWorks at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Department of Defense Rapid Reaction Technology Office (DoD/RRTO) demonstrated the launch of an all-electric, fuel cell-powered, unmanned aerial system (UAS) from a submerged submarine.
"Developing disruptive technologies and quickly getting them into the hands of our sailors is what our SwampWorks program is all about," said Craig A. Hughes, Acting Director of Innovation at ONR.
The successful submerged launch of a remotely deployed UAS offers a pathway to providing mission critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the U.S. Navy's submarine force.
Operating under support of the Los Angeles class USS Providence (SSN 719) and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center-Newport Division (NUWC-NPT), the NRL developed XFC UASeXperimental Fuel Cell Unmanned Aerial Systemwas fired from the submarine's torpedo tube using a 'Sea Robin' launch vehicle system. The Sea Robin launch system was designed to fit within an empty Tomahawk launch canister (TLC.
Once deployed from the TLC, the Sea Robin launch vehicle with integrated XFC rose to the ocean surface where it appeared as a spar buoy.
Upon command of Providence Commanding Officer, the XFC then vertically launched from Sea Robin and flew a successful several hour mission demonstrating live video capabilities streamed back to Providence, surface support vessels and Norfolk before landing.
..."represents an unprecedented paradigm shift in UAV propulsion and launch systems."
The XFC is a fully autonomous, all electric fuel cell powered folding wing UAS with an endurance of greater than six hours.
The XFC UAS uses an electrically assisted take off system which lifts the plane vertically out of its container and therefore, enables a very small footprint launch such as from a pickup truck or small surface vessel.
(Excerpt) Read more at nrl.navy.mil ...
Now this is some progress. The sub launches the Sea Robin that bobs on the surface, disguised as a buoy while the sub moves off. The drone can be remotely launched at any time. We can "seed" harbors and coastlines for timely launches as needed.
That is one of the problems with our current UAV's, when we get a heads up that somethings happening it often takes too long to get surveillance in place.
The real issue here is that the US armed forces are very rapidly turning into islamic armed forces, just as the US itself have already turned to shariah.
The process may not be reversible. The US already poses an islamist threat to everyone.
>> Developing disruptive technologies and quickly getting them into the hands of our sailors is what our SwampWorks program is all about
So “a faggot in every berthing space”, and women on submarines, were SwampWorks ideas? If those aren’t “disruptive technologies”, the words have no meaning!
torpedo tube??? Tomahawks area a VLS system...
For submarine-launched missiles (called UGM-109s), after being ejected by gas pressure (vertically via the VLS) or by water impulse (horizontally via the torpedo tube), the missile exits the water and a solid-fuel booster is ignited for the first few seconds of airborne flight until transition to cruise.
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