Page 26: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2016)

Subsea Defense mercial applications. In fact, it’s about a factor of 100 greater

When it comes to the surface, it raises a payload space than other UUVs, as well as 18 kW of power.” mast and turns on a diesel generator,

Defense sectors all over the world are increasingly turning to unmanned systems to augment their manned capabilities. Until charging the lithium ion and silver now, technological restrictions such as power and autonomous zinc batteries that power the system system integration have limited missions. The Echo Voyager negates some of these factors by offering a platform that can while submerged. On the surface, it can operate for up to 6 months at a time, powering vast payloads and communicate via satellite to of oad travel up to 7,500 miles on one fuel tank. “UUVs also need to operate in harsh environments. As you data and download a new operational go deep, the pressure is signi? cant – so at 10,000-feet be- plan. Even at 50 tons, one operator can low the surface you are seeing pressures of 5,000 pounds per square inch. Vehicles have to be able to withstand the pres- control multiple vehicles from anywhere sure at depths, temperatures slightly below freezing and huge in the world. variations in these parameters,” said Towers. “So, realistically we know things will fail. This is why we added several redun- and repaired while in the water. dant systems which helps drive the vehicles size, but also so

When it comes to the surface, it raises a mast and turns on a that you can lose a signi? cant proportion of the systems and diesel generator, charging the lithium ion and silver zinc bat- the vehicle will still come back. There are also six emergency teries that power the system while submerged. On the surface, backup systems: you can lose four primary computer systems it can communicate via satellite to of? oad data and download and six emergency controllers and the last one will get the a new operational plan. Even at 50 tons, one operator can con- vehicle to the surface.” trol multiple vehicles from anywhere in the world. Over the summer, the Echo Voyager is scheduled for further “The other game changing capability is that we developed a testing and validation in Huntington Beach, California, when commercial interface for anybody’s payload. Voyager can car- the vehicle will be placed in a large research pool. Once it ry signi? cant payload sizes from up to 30-foot long, 8.5-foot is operating as desired, Boeing will then conduct open-ocean across in the payload bay: an equivalent to one and a half ship- trials in Southern California, off the Islands of Catalina, and ping containers,” said Towers. “It has a tremendous amount of verify all the functionalities including depth of operation, space and power that can be used for dozens of defence or com- avoidance and command control.

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