Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency News

US Tests World's Largest Unmanned Sub Hunter

The US military is beginning testing on the world's largest unmanned ship - a self-driving 40-metre vessel designed to travel thousands of kilometres out at sea without a single crew member on board. The 132-foot "Sea Hunter" will patrol the world’s oceans hunting and tracking enemy submarines and it will do it all without a single human aboard. The drone vessel can track an enemy submarine for thousands of miles for months at a time. “[The Sea Hunter] as the unique capability to go out…

ABS Endows Professor at University of Michigan

A newly funded professorship in the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department underscores ABS’ commitment to education. ABS has endowed the American Bureau of Shipping Professor of Marine and Offshore Design and Performance position at the University of Michigan, naming Dr. Steven Ceccio, Chair of the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department, to the role. Speaking at the University of Michigan on April 14, 2016, ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki talked about ABS’ longstanding commitment to education.

US Military Christens Self-piloting Ship

The U.S. military on Thursday christened an experimental self-driving warship designed to hunt for enemy submarines, a major advance in robotic warfare at the core of America's strategy to counter Chinese and Russian naval investments. The 132-foot-long (40-metre-long) unarmed prototype, dubbed Sea Hunter, is the naval equivalent of Google's self-driving car, designed to cruise on the ocean's surface for two or three months at a time - without a crew or anyone controlling it remotely.

DARPA All Set To Launch Submarine Hunting Drone

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will launch in April a sleek, 132-foot warship from Portland, OR, testing its abilities over a succeeding period of 18 months. The ship is entirely autonomous, fully operational without an onboard crew. The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel, or ACTUV, is scheduled to be launched April 17 from the Vigor Shipyards in Oregon. The ACTUV will continue sea-trials for 18 months following its maiden voyage, where it will be tested for its long-range tracking and self-driving functions.

Naval EXPO Coming to Washington

For the first time ever, the general public will be admitted free to the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO general exhibit hall Feb. 4-5 where they will be able to see the Electromagnetic Railgun, an autonomous swarmboat, a firefighting robot and much more. Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., the EXPO is the Navy's premiere science and technology (S&T) event, held every two years to showcase some of the Navy's latest technologies and bring together the brightest minds from around the world to share information…

USN Railgun at Future Force EXPO

The Electromagnetic Railgun-a weapon that will play a significant role in the future of the U.S. Navy-will be on display to the public for the first time on the East Coast Feb. 4-5 at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology (S&T) EXPO in Washington, D.C., officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced Jan. 13. With Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert set as the event's keynote speaker on Feb. 4, the EXPO promises to be a window into the future of the U.S. Navy, showcasing the latest advances in power projection and force protection.

U.S. Navy eyes greater presence in Arctic from 2025

The U.S. Navy is mapping out how to expand its presence in the Arctic beginning around 2020, given signs that the region's once permanent ice cover is melting faster than expected, which is likely to trigger more traffic, fishing and resource mining. "The Arctic is all about operating forward and being ready. We don't think we're going to have to do war-fighting up there, but we have to be ready," said Rear Admiral Jonathan White, the Navy's top oceanographer and navigator, and director of the Navy's climate change task force.

Bluefin Completes DARPA UUV Deep Testing

Bluefin Robotics has successfully completed deep-water testing of a specialized Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The system was developed under a Phase II subcontract from Applied Physical Sciences Corp. (APS) for the Deep Sea Operations (DSOP) Program. DSOP is part of DARPA's Distributed Agile Submarine Hunting program (DASH), which aims to develop affordable distributed technology to address Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) surveillance needs over large, operationally relevant areas.

Raytheon to Supply Navy Unmanned Vessel Sonar

Raytheon Company awarded a sub-contract from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for its latest medium frequency hull-mounted sonar system. The sub-contract is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program. According to the U.S. Navy , 43 nations operate more than 600 submarines; the steady increase in undersea vessels makes tracking a challenge. Raytheon's Modular Scalable Sonar System (MS3) will integrate into SAIC's prototype trimaran vessel as the primary search and detection sonar.

Deep-sea Submersible Purchase by OceanGate

OceanGate Inc., provider of deep-sea manned submersible solutions, buys 3-person, diesel-electric submersible 'Lula'f rom Portugal's Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation. The submarine, which can operate at a depth of 500 meters (1,640 feet), was purchased to meet the increased demand for manned submersibles in commercial applications focused on biological and environmental surveys, monitoring, and inspection. Having conducted hundreds of dives during her 10-year operating history, Lula will expand OceanGate's ability to meet growing industry client demands…

Unmanned US Navy ASW Vessel Contract for SAIC

Science Applications International (SAIC) awarded US Navy DARPA contract for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Unmanned Vessel. The contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program phases two through four to design, build and test a new prototype unmanned autonomous surface vessel. The DARPA ACTUV program aims to develop an unmanned autonomous surface vessel with the ability to track a quiet diesel-electric submarine overtly for months over thousands of kilometers, with minimal human input.

Adapting Commercial Container Ships to Deliver Emergency Aid

Through the TEMP program, Raytheon is creating an innovative system of modular technologies – including air and sea cargo transport, cargo transfer and onboard support resources – that enable commercial container ships (cargo ships) to support humanitarian aid and other non-combat missions through the use of advanced technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Unlike naval ships, commercial vessels are not designed with the capabilities needed for aid missions. Through the TEMP system…

Bryan Nichols Joins Growing Vigor Shipyard Sales Team

Bryan Nichols, one of the leading maritime business development professionals in the Pacific Northwest, is joining forces with VIGOR Industrial, which owns and operates the premier shipyards in the region. Nichols joins VIGOR as a sales representative for the company, which builds, repairs and modernizes commercial fishing and cargo vessels, ferries and military ships at six locations in the Northwest. Nichols had been sales and marketing manager at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Whidbey Island, Wash. “Joining VIGOR is an exciting next step for me,” Nichols said.

SAIC: $2m DARPA Contract for AUSV

Science Applications International  Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE: SAI] announced today it was awarded a prime contract by  the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design a concept for a new autonomous unmanned surface vessel to help counter the modern threat submarine. The contract has a six month period of performance and a total value of $2 million. SAIC is one of six companies selected for Phase I of the DARPA Program. Officially named the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) Phase I…