Research Proposed: Research is proposed to design, develop, and deliver a novel concept for a Recoverable Explosion-Mitigated Operations Recording Appliance (REMORA), a blast-survivable mission data module for Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) mine countermeasures (MCM) operations. Attached to a UUV or ROV, REMORA will continuously record the system messaging and sensor data throughout a mission, similar to an airplane black box but enabling a greatly enhanced recording window. Upon unintentional loss of the vehicle, REMORA will detach and enable recovery and data retrieval. Problem Statement: Mines and improvised explosive devices are cost-effective tools in naval warfare, having been used effectively in every major naval engagement since World War I. Relatively inexpensive mines are capable of delaying or stopping amphibious landings or critical port control. Accidental detonation of a mine during UUV or ROV clearing operations would delete critical data related to the minefield and specific threats. Plan/Process Outline: The effort will begin with the adaptation of an existing data logging module design to account for the unique blast environment for the MCM mission sets. Following that, a modeling and simulation effort will help determine the feasibility and survivability of REMORA at different distances for known blast sizes. The initial design specification and capabilities description will prepare for a prototype solution in Phase II.
Benefit: Successful completion of this project will provide a novel black box mission module designed to preserve and provide retrieval of critical information after a catastrophic loss of a mine countermeasures Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) or Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Providing dedicated non-volatile internal storage, the module will capture information up to just before the blast that destroys the UUV or ROV. Fielding this capability will reduce the impact of the loss of a UUV or ROV by ensuring the data is provided to the operators to identify what went wrong and if different tactics are required for any subsequent clearing efforts.
Keywords: mine countermeasures, mine countermeasures, Black Box, remotely operated vehicles, Unmanned Undersea Vehicles, mines, Improvised Explosive Devices, data recorder, Survivability
