SBIR-STTR Award

Increased operations by U.S. Navy ships in the near shore and inport environments have increased desire for improved navigational safety and improved self protection from underwater threats. Commercial technologies exist or are under development which could form the basis for shipboard sensors to detect, provide alertment, and, in some cases, identify underwater natural, manmade, or human threats to ships. Phase I of this project will prove this concept by developing an innovative engineering design for a prototype underwater sensing system that provides hazard and security alertment for U. S. Navy ships. In Phase II the prototype will be built, tested, and readied for fleet introduction.

Benefits:
This project streamlines and compresses exploratory, advanced, and engineering developments by leveraging COTS technologies and commercial processes to provide a system to address needs identified in today's news headlines. This system will have wide applicability across many ship types for improved navigational safety and improved self protection from underwater threats. The system will have similar applicability to allied naval craft and high value commercial vessels.

Keywords:
sonar security swimmer detection counter-terrorism obstacle avoidance depth sounder mine

In light of ongoing terrorist threats, self protection of US NAVY ships has become a high priority in US and foreign ports. Similarly, more operations near shore has increased desire for improved navigational safety. Commercial technologies exist or are under development which could be used as shipboard sensors to detect, provide alertment, and, in some cases, identify underwater natural, man made, or human threats to ships. Phase II of this project will design and build a system with these functionalities, conduct appropriate proof of capability tests, and prepare the system for fleet introduction. This project streamlines and compresses exploratory, advanced, and engineering developments by leveraging COTS technologies and commercial processes to provide a system to address needs identified in today''''''''''''''''s headlines. This system will have wide applicability across many ship types for improved navigational safety and improved self protection from underwater threats. The system will have similar applicability to allied naval craft and high value commercial vessels.

Keywords:
Swimmer Detection, Security In Port, Sonar, Fathometer, Grounding Avoidance, Obstacle Avoidance, Counter-Terrorism, Mine Avoidance