Page 24: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2024)

MARITIME LOGISTICS

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Claire M. DuBois

Capt. Derek Rader, center, shows the inside of a Global Autonomous Reconnaissance

Craft (GARC) to distinguished visitors as they tour the new crafts at Unmanned Surface

Vessel Squadron 3 (USVRON 3). The 16-foot vessels built by Maritime Applied Physics

Corporation enable research, testing, and operations that will allow integration throughout the surface, expeditionary, and joint maritime forces. 50 lbs. We’ve been testing this, and have actually worked it lb. sensor payload with long endurance. into a ? eet battle problem and used it to deliver some simulat- “If it can carry 50 lbs. then we can handle 90 percent of our ed CASREP parts from an MSC vessel over to Marines on the needs,” said Bruening.

beach, and then the aircraft returned to the ship. We’ve also “If we look beyond CASREP parts, we can see a value in delivered parts to an aircraft carrier while pierside at Naval making high-priority deliveries for things like blood,” added

Station Norfolk. We proved we could do it, and do it autono- VanAuker. “There’s a different twist to this mission, because mously. And we’ve kept it simple — Hit the button, it links the cargo needs to be kept at a speci? c temperature.” up with SATCOM, and off it goes.” Another example of the Taluga Group looking at using

Bruening said the Navy has been testing drones such as existing capability for a new purpose envisions delivery of the Skyways V2.6B and Martin UAV V-Bat 128 drones for relatively small shipments is using unmanned surface ves- logistics, but they can support other missions. “We’ve been sels (USVs), especially after observing a GARC (Greenough working with the Air Force. They’re looking at small UAVs Advanced Rescue Craft), made by Maritime Applied Physics for search and rescue. We’ve actually done the hard part— Corporation (MAPC), of Baltimore, Md., being used for anti- getting the autonomy as well as the ‘launch and recover’ terrorism force protection (ATFP). to work.” “We were working with Fleet Forces Command during

The Taluga Group is also looking at DARPA’s AdvaNced one of our local ATFP exercises, and they were using a wea- airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCIL- ponized GARC for the ATFP mission. Think of it like a

LARY) ISR drone program, which is designed to carry a 60 super jet-ski, about 15 feet long and ? ve feet wide. It weighs 24 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • September 2024

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