Investigation of Requirements and Capabilities of Next-Generation Mine Warfare Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools, including functional flow block diagrams and functional hierarchies, are used to logically define mine countermeasure (MCM) UUV operations and support the development of alternative concepts of operations.

Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, California

The current fleet of United States Navy (USN) Mine Countermeasures (MCM) ships, the Avenger class, is reaching the end of its planned service life. To fill the capability gaps left by removing these ships from the fleet, and to take advantage of technological advances in environmental sensing and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), the Navy will be acquiring new systems to perform the MCM mission. The Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition process aims to fill capability gaps with materiel solutions through development of new or improved systems or the purchase of existing systems. Beginning the acquisition process with ample knowledge of potential materiel solutions and their expected performance improves the likelihood of program success.

This research examines the current state of UUV technology and technological capabilities anticipated to be available within the next 10 years. It identifies the impact to system performance based on changes to system characteristics that drive the operational performance and provides recommendations to MCM decision makers about system attributes that will result in capability improvements for UUVs in support of the MCM mission.