Below the waterline: the weak link?
Underwater security is currently considered a weak link for ports in the battle against terrorism. ” We are working to augment divers with technology,” says Dr Douglas Todoroff, director of sensing and systems division of the Office of Naval Research in the US. ” Theres a need for regular surveys of ports to accurately geo-reference databases.” Identifying anomalies on vessel hulls could provide protection from threats such as limpet mines.
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) were originally designed for oceanographic coastal surveys and are being adapted for port areas where there are pylons and other obstacles. The REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring Unit) is proving one of the most successful of a number of sonar equipped AUVs which are being trialled and adapted for port security use.
REMUS is a low cost compact AUV which can be deployed by one operator and monitored via a laptop computer. The torpedo-like unit weighs just 37kg and is just over five feet long. It is capable of rapid surveys at speeds of three to five knots for up to 22 hours at a depth of up to 300 feet.
Standard data collected includes: Acoustic Doppler Current Profiling (ADCP); heading, roll and pitch; conductivity temperature; side scan sonar; sound speed; navigation data; optical backscatter; mission progress; system status;<$>and bathymetry.
Further experimentation and validation of this technology will take place during the NATO Harbour Protection Trials, hosted by the Italian Navy off La Spezia in April next year.
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