The development of a free-swimming UUV for mine neutralization

Nekton Research is developing a 4-7/8" diameter, 39" long UUV for the neutralization of mines in shallow water. The Ranger RN UUV can be hand-launched from a small boat, navigate on its own with GPS or acoustic long baseline navigation, and autonomously locate and home to mines. Alternatively, Ranger RN can be tracked and controlled remotely through an acoustic link. Current vehicle and field tests are described