Wednesday 16 September 2015

The Functions Of Unmanned Surface Vessel

By Daphne Bowen


The use of water vehicles that allow interaction both below and above the water line continues to be used by both learning institutions and governments for many reasons. Unmanned surface vessel is another name for autonomous surface vehicle and the two are often abbreviated as USV or ASV in that order. A crew is not needed to operate these water vehicles like the name suggests. They allow remote operation by an operator at the base station.

The use of USV was initially confined to educational purposes only. They were instrumental at understanding various forms of sea life that little information is known about. Like the present-day vessels, those initial ones also include data capturing, storage, and transmitting systems. Various forms of data that was collected, stored, and transmitted was in the form of audio, pictures, and videos.

If the vessels are used properly, they can capture crucial information that allows the study of certain aspects of sea creatures. Self-propulsion capability allows them to be navigated deep into the sea and then back. Their capabilities and assistance has played key role in the understanding of some of the phenomena that are currently known about the sea. Data is captured both on the water surface and below.

The vessel consists of a navigation system that allows for remote control by the operator at the base station. GPS system is deployed heavily in their navigation and without it, they can easily get lost at the sea. In comparison to manned vessels, these variants of water vessels are more resilient and reliable, which makes them more preferable for deep sea excursions.

Educational research thrived because of the use of USVs that governments started recognizing them and adopting them in military missions. When used in military missions, they eliminate chances of human casualties, something that every military aims at achieving. Fleets are maintained and kept on the ready for deployment by navies that own the vehicles. Great improvements and modifications have been done to first generation USVs to make them better.

The current-day vessels have evolved to a great extent. They include several features and capabilities some of which can only be accessed by the military. Research has indicated that they have a potential of delivering a higher payload than other vessels both on and under the water surface. They are the excellent machinery for denying enemy vessels access into a given area. At the same time, they are excellent at thwarting anti-access efforts installed by enemy troops.

Mechanisms for both defensive and offensive operations are incorporated into current-day USVs. That makes them good for anti-submarine and mine warfare missions. Another evolution has occurred in the methods of deployment and positioning of base stations. Currently they can be deployed from anywhere including air, water, and land. Control is also possible from the three locations while maintaining functionality at its maximum level.

Regardless of the advantages, not many militaries around the world currently develop and deploy USVs. Only a limited number of navies from developed worlds have fleets. A short history and expensiveness are the two main factors that limit popularity and adoption of this new generation technology.




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