Highly Advanced Detection and Elimination Systems for Unmanned Minesweeping

The project intends to study, design, prototype and test an innovative solution for minesweeping leveraging on the combination of platform autonomous features and analytics of underwater signatures. The objective of such solution is to reduce the risks in operations, advance mapping and analytics of underwater signatures, enhance technical performances (including endurance, resistance to shock, etc.) and overall effectiveness of the missions compared to current solutions. The idea is to target a minesweeping system, which is capable of simulate a heavy platform as LPD, RoRo, and in general up to 200 meter length, by emission of configured signatures. The project will define 4 main topics of the system and evaluate them during an exercise conducted at the end of the program. • Mine Sweeping Sources (AHMS-1), a new payload capable of simulating the ship's signatures, including or simultaneously acoustic, electrical, magnetic and pressure. The component is the innovation of the project, because it has main goal to reproduce the heavy platform combining more than one signature. • Mine Sweeper Drone (AHMS-2), a new Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), with following features: shock resistance, automatic deploy and recovery of payloads, hybrid propulsion to reduce own underwater signatures, resilient and robust. • Mine Sweeper Module (AHMS-3), a new decision-making module, devoted to the mine sweeping mission, capable of interaction with existing C2/C3 systems and USV platforms, by use of standard protocols, as 4817. • Signatures Test Range (AHMS-4), a tester which will be capable of receiving in passive way, the signature produced by the Mine Sweeping Source and USV and assess if the signal is valid or not.