Maritime Autonomous System - Subsea UK€¦ · of Maritime Autonomous Systems. ... Opportunities exist for MOD to employ autonomous systems to affect current operations. Furthermore,

© UK Defence Solutions Centre 2019Official

Maritime Autonomous System

Chris Shepherd

Head of Maritime Capability

Aberdeen - 19/09/2019

Oct-19 1

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property of the UK Defence Solutions Centre (UKDSC) and should be treated accordingly. Permitted for use within the Defence

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© UK Defence Solutions Centre 2019

Official

Defence Growth Partnership

Oct-19 2


Official

Addressable Market by Capability Theme

Total market potentially

addressable by TeamUK

across the 32 assessed

countries and the 10

Strategic Capabilities,

2021-2030

$311bn

10 overarching strategic

Capability Themes

10

Oct-19 3


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Composition of the Maritime Task Group

Oct-19 4


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“The Royal Navy will lead and

win through

the innovative and robust

exploitation

of Maritime Autonomous

Systems.”

Autonomous Systems

Oct-19 5


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Opportunities in Navy

Figure 1: Navy Command Equipment Plan outrun and allocated

budget with Equipment Procurement Program

Opportunities exist for MOD to employ autonomous systems to affect

current operations. Furthermore, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, RAF and

Army have been tasked with the goal of transforming operations in

various environments through increased utilisation of autonomy.

Navy Command currently plans to spend approximately £32.5 Billion

on the Equipment Plan over the next ten years

One of the objectives for the budget expenditure is stated as initial

development work on locating, identifying and neutralising maritime

mines, using unmanned autonomous systems . The Navy plans to use

autonomy to enhance both Mass and Lethality in the following areas:

• Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CAS-D)

• Forward Presence

• Carrier Strike Group (CSG)

• Marine Mine Counter Measures (MMCM)

• Littoral Strike Group (LSG)

Oct-19 6


Official

Conceptual Maritime Force…..

It is likely to be

Networked, multi-

domain, autonomous

vehicles working in

unison with manned

force elements

underpinned by

Information Warfare

that could cripple

military effect if not met

head on and pre-

empted

Oct-19 7


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Autonomous Systems – Navy X

Oct-19 8


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Autonomous Systems

Near Term Developments –Next 5 years

Autonomous USV

Project Wilton

Sweep

Oct-19 9


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Future Use of Autonomy

1. Multi-role platforms (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), mine counter-

measures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), acoustic surveillance, and offensive

operations).

2. Enhanced threat detection (anti-submarine USV capable of detecting the silent diesel-

electric submarines in littoral waters).

3. Enhanced/alternative energy systems to increase range and endurance (hybrid, high

energy hydrogen cells).

4. Stealthy drone systems capable of carrying complex weapons, and enhancements for

undetectable loitering.

5. The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) (platform maintenance, assisted

navigation, distributed tactical surveillance, mine reconnaissance, coordination and

monitoring of robot swarms).

Oct-19 10


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Artificial Intelligence

Sensor Data Fusion and Decision Support

They use software tools

limited to learning, reasoning,

and problem-solving within a

specific context.

They are not able to adapt

dynamically to novel

situations.

Operators want information

not “DATA”

Oct-19 11


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AI in Warships…..

Cometh the platform, cometh the app

Modern Warships will

become a platform

with a shared

infrastructure where AI

applications can be

down loaded and

updated with ease.

Oct-19 12


Official

Lets Just Buy The Kit?

• So why is it so hard?

• Denied Environments

• Defence Lines of Development (TEPIDOIL)

• Training, Equipment, Personnel, Infrastructure, Doctrine, Organisation, Information and Logistics

• Level of Autonomy – bored operators waiting to interject is not a solution

• Plug and Play different equipment, sensor fusion, truly open architecture (the USB of UXVs)

• Trust! Would you go first?

• Unmanned systems will be dominated by the organisations that smoothly transition their customers and are able to realise the benefits from technology rather than just delivering cool tech.

Oct-19 13


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Summary

• Remote and Autonomous Systems (RaAS) and their associated systems have the

potential to be transformative in both the defence and commercial sectors, by removing

operators and service personnel from areas, which are ‘dull, dangerous and dirty’.

• Applications across sectors such as; aquafarming, risk and disaster monitoring, O&G,

offshore renewables, in addition to defence and security will also be beneficiaries of

disruptive underpinning technologies.

• Unmanned Systems does not signal the end of the manned platform, at least for several

decades, but they will be a central component of the strategic balance and of Royal

Naval Operations.

Oct-19 14

Documents

Maritime Autonomous System - Subsea UK€¦ · of Maritime Autonomous Systems. ... Opportunities exist for MOD to employ autonomous systems to affect current operations. Furthermore,