Navy sonar-towing unmanned surface vessel (USV) appears in San Diego Harbor for anti-submarine warfare (ASW)
SAN DIEGO – A new type of unmanned surface vessel (USV) identified by the MarineTraffic reporting system as ‘USV Catbus’ has been sighted in San Diego harbor. Forbes reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
30 Sept. 2021 -- This vessel presumably for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and similar surveillance applications seems to be a previously unseen U.S. Navy project, similar to the mysterious Wave Glider craft that have washed up in Scotland and elsewhere, but with one big difference: it’s fast.
Twitter user @cjr1321 is a photographer who takes pictures of shipping in San Diego. Having spotted the unusual craft from a distance on Sept. 13, he decided to get a closer look.
The craft is about 18-feet long, and powered by an array of solar cells. It can withstand waves of about three feet, so it is not intended for operations in rough seas, and the vessel can fit into a shipping container for rapid transfer anywhere in the world. It will tow a small sonar acoustic array and travels as fast as 13 knots.
Related: Navy orders AN/SQQ-89 surface ASW undersea warfare systems for cruisers and destroyers
Related: New ship takes lead in countermine and anti-submarine warfare
Related: UUVs hit their stride
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
