Page 28: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2017)

odern submarines are not only quieter The ASW industry is an endless conveyor belt of innova- than their ancestors, but they are also tion, battling to develop the next game-changing technology. better equipped to deal with the threats NATO navies already ? eld impressive ASW capabilities, in- that shadow them from above. For now, cluding modern frigates deploying low-frequency active sonar submarines are ahead in the race. But, and advanced location devices on new modern submarines.

Mwith the emergence of unmanned au- Air assets such as specialized planes known as Maritime Pa- tonomous technology there is the tantalizing possibility that trol Aircraft, or MPAs, can deploy and monitor passive or ac- in the future we will be able to detect, localize and track sub- tive sonobuoys ? elds, and helicopters, MPH, can deploy sono- marines across huge distances more effectively and at lower buoys and/or active dipping sonar. cost. As we enter into a new era of ASW operation, we take a While manned assets are a vital part of ASW operations, look at the challenges in unmanned solutions remaining to be reductions in funding and new advances in submarine tech- overcome before the tide is turned against those hidden under nology has led countries around the world to begin to develop the waves. unmanned systems for ASW. Although today’s unmanned

CMRE engineers ruggedize AUV technologies in the Center’s Lab.

Photo: CMRE

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MTR

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