Tethered Antennas for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs)

When any Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) is underwater it cannot receive a GPS signal and it cannot communicate by utilizing RF. This lack of connectivity greatly impacts all operations and is a problem for all users of UUVs. Brooke Ocean Technology USA Inc. has proposed a solution, a towed buoyant antenna, that would give UUVs the ability to communicate rapidly and in real time while submerged. This real time two-way communications and exact positioning will be beneficial in several applications. The ability to demonstrate the real time transmission of large amounts of data to an underwater vehicle while underway is our goal. A very low drag tethered antenna that will support two-way RF communication (WiFi), satellite communication, and GPS reception will greatly enhance the ID and localization capabilities of all UUVs. The added advantage is the UUV with a towed antenna will be much more maneuverable underwater than it would be on the surface. In addition, successful creation of a family of towed antennas, the first being conformal to the 12 ¾-inch diameter body, when stowed, will be of great interest to the ever-growing world of autonomous vehicles in use around the world.