Il Futuro Dei Veicoli Autonomi

[Totiano*]

un interessante articolo di defencetalk al link https://www.defencetalk.com/unmanned-sea-systems-market-entering-turbulent-waters-64069/, basato su una ricerca di Forecast International, da il percato dei veicoli autonomi, conosciuti con i vari acronimi AAV, AUV, ASV ecc. in violenta crescita nel prossimo decennio, con particolare accento per gli ASV, ovvero i veicoli di superficie, da dedicare al pattugliamento a alla ricerca di mine.
Accenna appena alle capacità antisommergibile e di ricerca di mine in ambito subacqueo, un campo che trovo molto promettente anche se con elevate difficoltà per il controllo del mezzo.

ecco l'articolo

Unmanned Sea Systems Market Entering Turbulent Waters

 

Unmanned naval surface and underwater system production is slated to be mixed during the next 10 years, with Forecast International expecting manufacturers to produce some 29,550 units through 2024. The value of this market over the next decade is $15.4 billion.

Among the major segments of this market are torpedoes, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The latter two system types may be used as naval targets, or to perform offshore patrol duties and mineclearing.

“Sales of torpedoes will account for more than half of this market’s value, but the unmanned vehicle segments are growing rapidly,” said Larry Dickerson, Forecast International’s senior unmanned systems analyst.

The torpedo segment is worth $8.1 billion, with the USV and UUV segments worth $6.1 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively.

According to Forecast International’s “Market for Unmanned Naval Surface & Underwater Systems,” overall production will rise from 2,722 units this year to a decade-high of 3,243 units in 2018, before descending to a low of 2,340 in 2022. Given the increasingly high costs for these systems, the value of production will rise from $1.044 billion in 2015 to a high of $2.065 billion in 2024.

Different companies lead in each segment, with some firms competing in more than one. Leading torpedo manufacturers, in terms of 10-year value of production, include Raytheon (Mk 54 LHT), Atlas Elektronik (DM2A4), Roketsan (Akya), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Type 12).

Atlas Elektronik is also making headway within the expendable mine disposal vehicle (MDV) segment. Its Seafox is the most successful MDV currently on the market, although BAE Systems is aiming to win a greater share with its Archerfish.

General Dynamics is hoping to garner a share of the remotely operated vehicle segment with its new Knifefish UUV. Such systems are reusable and the primary means of clearing naval mines until the arrival of the new expendable MDVs. ECA has a long history of success with its PAP series. The company has manufactured over 500 systems and exported them to customers worldwide.

For decades, navies used unmanned surface vessels as surface targets during naval exercises and weapons systems testing. Some of these seaborne target systems – such as the former Spruance class USS Paul F. Foster (DD 964), now the EDD-964 Foster Self-Defense Test Ship (SDTS) – are very sophisticated.

In addition to testing self-defense systems, unmanned surface vessels are assuming other responsibilities. For example, Israel uses USVs to patrol its maritime border with the Gaza Strip, while the United States plans to use USVs to work with its Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs). A growing number of European nations are also experimenting with USVs. France, Germany, Italy and Turkey could deploy new USVs during the forecast period.

Forecast International, Inc. is a leading provider of Market Intelligence and Analysis in the areas of aerospace, defense, power systems and military electronics. Based in Newtown, Conn., USA, Forecast International specializes in long-range industry forecasts and market assessments used by strategic planners, marketing professionals, military organizations, and governments worldwide. Forecast International’s resources and extensive base of experience can be readily adapted and efficiently focused to fulfill a broad spectrum of civil and military consulting and special research requirements.

 

 

 

lo RMMV di Lockeed Martin http://www.unmanned.co.uk/unmanned-vehicles-news/unmanned-autonomous-underwater-vehicles-uuv-auv-news/navy-to-enhance-unmanned-underwater-vehicle-reliability-for-coastal-defense-and-isr/

 

il Remus 100

 

il seafox di Atlas elektronik

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A riguardo dell'interesse su questi veicoli, può essere pregnante l'interesse delle spie dell'est asiatico, come riportato in questo articolo dal sito unmanned: http://www.unmanned.co.uk/unmanned-vehicles-news/unmanned-autonomous-underwater-vehicles-uuv-auv-news/spies-target-underwater-unmanned-vehicle-uuv-fleet/

 

Spies Target Underwater Unmanned Vehicle (UUV) Fleet

When foreign spies set their sights on America’s secrets, many times they’re not looking underground for secret bunkers or in the sky for massive spy blimps, but under the sea at the nation’s low-profile underwater drone fleet.

According to some of the military’s top counterintelligence analysts, in recent years there has been a significant increase in both old school spying and cyber operations, especially by unnamed East Asian nations, directed at gaining classified information on America’s autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in hopes of undercutting the U.S.’s “underseas battlespace dominance.” “The technology base of the United States is under constant attack,” a new report by the Counterintelligence Directorate of the Pentagon’s Defense Security Service says. “This pervasive and enduring threat is like the weather: ever-present, yet ever changing.” The maritime drones, which have been stalking the world’s oceans for more than a decade for the U.S. Navy, are capable of a variety of missions including enemy craft and port surveillance, anti-mine operations and even “payload delivery”, according to the Navy. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, AUV’s, seen aboard a High Speed Vessel are being tested by the US Military. The DSS report is compiled annually based on incident reports by private U.S. contractors who say they’ve had suspicious contact with a foreign entity that expressed interest in classified technology. The report covers several popular targets for espionage — from U.S. information systems to space technology — but singled out the underwater drones this year as a “special focus area” because it has shown to be a “growing collection area”. The DSS predicts foreign production of AUVs to swiftly increase and, along with it, interest in stealing related U.S. technology.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, AUV's, seen aboard a High Speed Vessel are being tested by the US Military.

[Regia Marina *]

Una domanda sui sistemi UAV marini:

si parla di dispositivi ad utilizzo remoto a lungo raggio o dispositivi imbarcati su unità non autonome e rilasciati in zona operazioni con l'unità di controllo non troppo distante dal dispositivo?

 

L'esempio sarebbe un drone imbarcato su una unità portaerei o portaelicotteri, il suo operatore remoto risiederebbe a bordo della nave lanciatrice oppure in una base all'interno del paese nativo e controllerebbe l'eventuale drone a distanza.

 

Per lo sminamento sarebbe certamente utile (come gia fanno per le operazioni di sminamento terrestre dove già vengono usati con successo e gran risparmio di vite degli operatori i robot sminatori radiocomandati a distanza dall'operatore antimine) un dispositivo remoto in grado di provvedere in autonomia mediante sensori alla rimozione o al semplice monitoraggio e mappatura delle zone minate marittime (anche se non sò in questi anni quante di queste zone siano ancora presenti).

 

A mio avviso soprattutto per panorama mediterraneo potrebbero essere interessanti anche eventuali sviluppi di questo genere di dispositivi per la sorveglianza delle acque territoriali soprattutto alla luce delle nuove tipologie di missioni che la componente subacquea è chiamata ad operare con i flussi migratori e traffico di essere umani, contrabbando e reati di tipo ambientale, poter disporre di dispositivi ancora più "occulti" di un sommergibile e senza i suoi costi in termini di uomini e soldi sarebbe senz'altro interessante.

[Totiano*]

L'uno e l'altro, acronimo a parte (UAV sono gli "aerei").

sono nati primi i veicoli subacquei collegati con cavo ad altra unità (credo siano stati i cacciamine i primi), a seguire la cosa si è evoluita anche per i sub e sono nati i ezzi di superficie. ultimamente si parla molto di far lavorare i mezzi di superficie in modo che osservino le norme di navigazione e di diritto internazionali sul mare, in modo da renderli completamente autonomi

[Squadrag54]

L'uno e l'altro, acronimo a parte (UAV sono gli "aerei").

sono nati primi i veicoli subacquei collegati con cavo ad altra unità (credo siano stati i cacciamine i primi), a seguire la cosa si è evoluita anche per i sub e sono nati i ezzi di superficie. ultimamente si parla molto di far lavorare i mezzi di superficie in modo che osservino le norme di navigazione e di diritto internazionali sul mare, in modo da renderli completamente autonomi

fino dai primi anni 80, iniziarono ad essere imbarcati sui cacciamine ricavati dalla trasformazione dei dragamine classe alberi (500) i premi i primi mezzi autopropulsi controllabili da bordo, inizialmente si trattava di semplici di mezzi dotadi di sole telecamere guidati via cavo utilizzati per l'identificazione dei contatti, che poi dovevano essere distrutti tramite sub, si passò poi a mezzi dotati di apposite carice da rilasciare nelle vicinanze dell'ordigno, sino a giungere ad oggi a veicoli a controllo via radio che possono operare sia sulle mine da fondo che su quelle ormeggiate.

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Anche i Russi si stanno approcciando a questa tecnologia, o almeno adesso lo dichiarano ufficialmente. da defencetalk al link http://www.defencetalk.com/russia-pursuing-underwater-drones-66560/

Russia pursuing underwater drones

 

The Russian Navy is apparently investing in a technology of the future that has the potential to “revolutionize naval warfare,” defense expert Dave Majumdar wrote for the National Interest, referring to unmanned underwater and surface drones.

The official confirmation came this week when Deputy Navy Commander Vice Adm. Alexander Fedotenkov said that the Russian Navy was working on “unmanned boats.” He also mentioned that these vessels will be land- and sea-based.Although Fedotenkov seemed to be referring to surface drones, Majumdar assumed that the Russian Navy was also developing autonomous underwater vehicles.

“It is possible that the Russians are developing both – but a long endurance unmanned underwater vehicle would make more sense from a military standpoint for its ability to avoid detection,” Majumdar explained.

UUVs have been used for ocean surveillance, environmental research and mine clearing. One recent example includes the Bluefin-21, which took part in the MH370 search efforts. But UUV missions will likely be expanded to include anti-submarine and electronic warfare, as well as intelligence gathering.

The United States has pursued unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) for over a decade. In July 2015, the USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine, successfully launched and recovered a UUV. This was the first test of its kind for the US Navy, which is planning to use commercially available drones for the time being.

The use of underwater drones has so far been limited as the technology is still in its infancy, but its future looks promising. Stealthy and cost-effective UUVs, just like airborne drones in the skies, are expected to become game-changers in the deep.

“Essentially – once perfected – unmanned underwater vehicles could revolutionize naval warfare. But only time will tell,” Majumdar noted.