Sinking Hose System for Amphibious Bulk Liquid Transfer System (ABLTS)

The floating nature of the current Amphibious Bulk Liquid Transfer System (ABLTS) greatly reduces its service life and exposes the hose to weather, UV, collision, and sabotage risks. Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) and its research partners are developing a new ship-to-shore fluid transfer system that overcome these weaknesses and takes advantage of the small size and fast-deploying features of the Navys ABLTS, and which adds the operational longevity and security features of a submarine ship-to-shore pipeline. GAC proposes to continue the development a submersible hose system to provide this enhanced capability for the Navys Logistics Over-The-Shore (LOTS) liquid cargo operations. The system will sink when filled with working fluid. The hose system will possess the necessary density for stable operation on the seafloor, up to sea state 4. This new submersible hose system will significantly extend service life and operational availability, enabling cost savings and reduced waste, while also maintaining the expeditionary nature and rapid deployment of ABLTS. From the Navys perspective, the concept looks and behaves like a heavier ABLTS that sinks upon deployment.