Retractable UUV Antenna Buoy with Smart Tether GPS

KCF Technologies, in collaboration with Star-H and Penn State ARL, will fabricate a tethered antenna to support two-way RF communication and GPS reception. In addition, the module will incorporate a “watch circle error” position correction using KCF Smart Tether sensors on the tether, to project the buoy GPS accurately onto the submerged UUV. In Phase 1, KCF and Star-H will fabricate and test a preliminary deployable antenna. The prototype will be configured as a module for the Bluefin 21 UUV. During Phase 2, Penn State ARL and Bluefin will support a demonstration of the deployable antenna module on a Penn State UUV and the Bluefin 21, respectively. The eventual goal is to also integrate the module onto the Bluefin 12 and other 12 ¾ inch UUVs.