USS DELAWARE (SSN 791), a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, successfully completed Yellow Moray Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) operations in the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of operations.
U.S. Navy press release
This mission marks a significant technological milestone in autonomous system development as the Yellow Moray (REMUS 600) UUV executed the first-ever forward deployed submarine torpedo tube launch and recovery of a UUV to complete a tactical objective.
The Yellow Moray UUV executed a pre-programmed mission profile showcasing the potential to greatly enhance the Navy’s subsea and seabed warfare (SSW) capabilities. The successful completion of this mission demonstrates the feasibility of deploying robotic and autonomous systems from submarines, opening new possibilities for clandestine operations and battlespace preparation. As part of this operation, DELAWARE executed three Yellow Moray UUV sorties of about 6-10 hours each using the same vehicle, validating the reliability of the system and the ability to execute multiple missions without the need for divers to launch and recover the vehicle.
“DELAWARE is just the beginning. We plan to continue to deploy submarines with robotic and autonomous system capability worldwide so we can give more options to our Combatant Commanders by enhancing the capability of our SSNs,”
Commander Submarine Forces, Vice Admiral Rob Gaucher.
“This capability allows us to extend our reach with additional sensors at both shallower and deeper depths than a manned submarine can access. It reduces risk to the submarine by performing dull, dirty, and dangerous missions with the UUV, and the Yellow Moray system reduces risk to our divers since we can launch and recover via a torpedo tube.”
The integration of Robotic and Autonomous systems with submarines allows for a wider range of missions with reduced risk to personnel. These missions include, but are not limited to, seabed mapping, mine detection, and intelligence gathering. The autonomous nature of UUVs allow them to operate in areas inaccessible or too dangerous for manned submarines and provides valuable insight and situational awareness to the operational commander. This deployment also highlighted the ability of the Submarine Force and UUV Group 1 to learn fast and overcome barriers. During the first attempts to launch and recover in a Norwegian Fjord in February, the vehicle failed to recover to the torpedo tube after multiple attempts. After recovering the UUV to a surface support vessel technicians discovered damage to a critical part. To avoid impacts to the ship’s deployment schedule and operations, the Submarine Force (SUBFOR) shipped the UUV back to the U.S. and replaced the failed component.
