Modular Tethered Antennas for Undersea Platforms

Unmanned undersea platforms are increasingly being used for gathering intelligence. But if these vehicles loiter on the surface to perform their mission, they are susceptible to discovery and capture. A tethered antenna would allow the unmanned vehicle to remain underwater reducing risk from both exposure and damage from surface ships. There is a need for a modular design that can change payloads depending on mission requirements. Adaptive Methods proposes a solution to this requirement. We describe in our proposal our design for a modular, reconfigurable, tethered antenna lift body for undersea platforms that will support two-way Radio Frequency (RF) communication, imaging sensors, broadband Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) antennas, and Global Positioning System (GPS) reception. It can operate at a wide tow speed range and can lift payloads up to 10 lbs.