Closing Warfighting Gaps: Reconnaissance

Last Friday's Submarine Mystery Question: Why has the performance of certain reef fish fins drawn attention from the US Office of Naval Research?





Answer: UAVs like the Seaglider (see photo) have no propeller. Instead, these robotic vessels rely on aft-mounted wings to move forward. Once reaching the dive limit, its bladder reinflates, and Seaglider creeps upward, again propelled by its water wings.





As we said, the ONR has a Future Naval Capabilities Program that works to provide technologies to close warfighting gaps. Hmmm! Wondering what some of those gaps may be? Here are some hints from November, including monitoring electonic emissions, collecting video photography, determining mine location and conducting sea floor data collection. Satellite uplinked, of course.



Result: The time between survey and strike has been compressed from weeks to hours and sonar detectability is next to nil. Are you listening Mr. Ahmadinejad and el Presidente Hugo?