Research Summaries

Back Naval Special Warfare Combat Diver Phase 2

Fiscal Year 2017
Division Graduate School of Operational & Information Sciences
Department Defense Analysis
Investigator(s) Budden, Nancy A.
Sponsor Office of the Secretary of Defense, Rapid Reaction Technology Office (DoD)
Summary Naval Special Warfare Diver Comms is a task within the FY17-18 Naval Special Operations Technology and Partnerships Proposal. It is an effort to refine and integrate acoustic and optical communications technology onto Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW) Seal Delivery Vehicles (SDV's), Rotinor Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPV), and REMUS Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). The UUVs will move in dynamic tactical undersea orbits between SDV, surface, and combat divers. The UUVs will act as a communication node between Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) monitoring the target and the SDVs/ combat diving element to provide near real-time communications and situational awareness (SA). Optical communications provide wireless, high data rate imagery & video. High frequency acoustic signals provide tactical element communications and SA for changes on target.
A technology evaluation demonstration is scheduled for mid-September that will combine the optical and acoustic communications (comms) components into a single test. This work builds on optical modem work that NSP/Budden facilitated with Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), resourced by OSD/RRTO in FY15 for Submarine Forces (SUBFOR). Communications strides will be make in range and bandwidth using a new dual-signals approach for undersea communication and near real-time situational awareness, between the tactical diving element, surface, and SDV platform.
What current problem does this project address? Undersea and air-to-sea comms are historically non-existent as they are difficult to generate, receive, and understand. Swimmer Delivery Vehicle operators and combat divers have no situational awareness regarding changes on the target, increasing risk to man and mission in these critical tasks. These operators stay underwater in the SDV and water column without tactical communications, situational awareness, or the ability to conduct planning and change Courses of Action (COAs).
This effort accomplishes technology development, government oversight, warfighter engagement, rapid transition, program management, execution, and teaching of advanced technologies for Naval Special Warfare (NSW), MARSOC (Marine Special Forces Command), USACOC (U.S. Army Special Forces Command), and JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command), and Theater Special Operations Command.
Keywords Diver Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Navy Optical Special Ops Technology communications
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal