Shallow Water Communications for Mine Warfare

The ability to communicate reliably and covertly from forward deployed subsea platforms or emplaced sensor systems while operating in anti-access, hostile field environments is a primary objective of several Navy programs. Aret Associates and Engenium Technologies Corporation (ETC) have partnered for several years to develop the Expendable Data EXfiltration (EDEX) family of devices which can serve multiple roles in both primary and secondary fleet communications schemes. In response to challenges put forth in SBIR solicitation N161-027 (Shallow Water Communications for Mine Warfare), Aret Associates will team with ETC to submit a proposal entitled Near Surface Tethered Data Exfiltration: NST-DEX that solves the stated design challenges. This proposal recommends doing research and development to modify EDEX technology to create a tethered, minimal surface presence communications unit which interfaces directly to emplaced mines. This variant will enable a two-way communications gateway through the air/sea interface and return communications back to the mine platform. The development of this new modality will expand the possible CONOP scenarios beyond the limitations of the current EDEX devices.