Abstract: A launching device and associated methods can be utilized to launch an underwater running body from a platform such as a watercraft. The launching device may include a ramp, which extends along a longitudinal ramp axis, and a propellant deflection unit. The ramp may enclose an underwater running body with a propulsion unit underwater. The launching device may activate the propulsion unit, which then emits a propellant. The propellant deflection unit deflects the emitted propellant into an outlet direction. This outlet direction of the propellant may be directed perpendicularly or obliquely away from the platform.

Abstract: A launching device and associated methods can be utilized to launch an underwater running body from a platform such as a watercraft. The launching device may include a ramp, which extends along a longitudinal ramp axis, and a propellant deflection unit. The ramp may enclose an underwater running body with a propulsion unit underwater. The launching device may activate the propulsion unit, which then emits a propellant. The propellant deflection unit deflects the emitted propellant into an outlet direction. This outlet direction of the propellant may be directed perpendicularly or obliquely away from the platform.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sea container that can be closed on all sides, comprising a base frame, which has four corner posts, a top-side frame, and a bottom-side frame construction, wherein the corner posts are rigidly connected to the top-side frame and to the bottom-side frame construction. The bottom-side frame construction has a bearing frame, wherein installations in the container are fastened to the bearing frame and the bearing frame has tie-down means for tying down and for absorbing forces acting horizontally. Thus the invention makes it possible to accommodate installations such as a deploying device for a trailling antenna in a sea container even though traditional sea containers are unsuitable therefor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for clearing weapons that have been sunk in waterways using a weapon clearance appliance. The weapon clearance appliance comprises means for detachable connection to an unmanned underwater vehicle, so that the underwater vehicle is a safe distance away when the weapon is detonated. The volume of the weapon clearance appliance is chosen such that the buoyancy force which acts on the weapon clearance appliance under water compensates for the force of gravity acting on the weapon clearance appliance. Therefore, the weapon clearance appliance has neutral buoyancy, as a result of which, after the weapon clearance appliance has been released from the underwater vehicle, there is no need to retrim the underwater vehicle. Therefore, there is no need for trimming devices on the underwater vehicle.

Abstract: A method for determining the proximity to an electrically conductive body comprises transmitting an alternating magnetic field at a selected frequency and registering an alternating magnetic field. Frequencies of the registered alternating magnetic field comprising the selected frequency and have an amplitude value above a predefined threshold value and are detected by a detection means. Utilizing a blocking circuit, frequencies of a predefined frequency band comprising the detected frequency or a plurality of predefined frequency bands comprising in each case one of the detected frequencies, are defined as blocked frequencies. A following frequency following the respective selected frequency and different from the selected frequency and the blocked frequencies is defined in a selection controller. The following frequency of a selected frequency is continuously selected as a newly selected frequency for a new time window following immediately after or chronologically spaced apart from a selected time window.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for clearing weapons that have been sunk in waterways using a weapon clearance appliance. The weapon clearance appliance comprises means for detachable connection to an unmanned underwater vehicle, so that the underwater vehicle is a safe distance away when the weapon is detonated. The volume of the weapon clearance appliance is chosen such that the buoyancy force which acts on the weapon clearance appliance under water compensates for the force of gravity acting on the weapon clearance appliance. Therefore, the weapon clearance appliance has neutral buoyancy, as a result of which, after the weapon clearance appliance has been released from the underwater vehicle, there is no need to retrim the underwater vehicle. Therefore, there is no need for trimming devices on the underwater vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a protective housing for a propeller of a submarine vehicle. The invention also relates to a connection system for a propeller-driven submarine vehicle with a submarine cable and such a protective housing. The invention further relates to the use of a protective housing for a propeller of a submarine vehicle for receiving a strain relief connection for a connecting cable. The invention enables low-cost communication between a propeller-driven submarine vehicle and a support platform by means of a connecting cable which is hydrodynamically streamlined and ensures strain-relief for the connecting cable. The connecting cable is fixed to the periphery of the protective housing, outside the working space of the propeller located on a propeller axis, and a strain-relief cable-holding fixture is arranged for a connecting cable on the submarine vehicle.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical fiber spool includes winding a coil of an optical fibers up in the form of a cross-winding such that several layers of the optical fiber are formed that lie on top of one another. The optical fiber has a surface that respectively features contact areas between adjacent layers. Elevations are produced on the surface to create intermediate spaces between the elevations. The elevations are distributed so that in the region of one of the respective contact areas, at least one of the elevations of one of the adjacent layers of the respective contact area engages into at least one of the intermediate spaces of the other adjacent layer to of the same contact area. An optical fiber spool with a self-supporting coil of an optical fiber can be produced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a salvaging device and a salvaging method for salvaging condensed matter, such as an underwater vehicle, located on the water surface of a waterway. The salvaging device is an unmanned watercraft and comprises a boat hull with a maneuvering means and with a carrier device as well as a salvaging receptacle fastened to the boat hull. The watercraft is maneuvered in a self-driven manner on the water surface and collects the condensed material into the salvaging receptacle where the collected matter is stored. A crane of a supply ship then lifts the salvaging device and stored condensed matter out of the waterway. The invention permits the salvaging of the condensed matter, e.g., an underwater vehicle, with a reduced risk of damage to the condensed matter, as well as with a reduced risk to personnel who do not need to enter the water for this purpose.

Abstract: An unmanned underwater vehicle and a method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle (1) is recovered by releasing a recovery buoy (21), which is connected to the vehicle (1) by a recovery line (22), recovering the recovery buoy (21) from the surface, attaching the recovery line (22) to a recovery system and lifting the vehicle (1) by the recovery system and the recovery line (22). To provide a safe recovery of the unmanned underwater vehicle under most weather condition, the vehicle (1) is submerged after releasing the recovery buoy (21) by reducing the buoyancy of the vehicle (1) and providing negative net-buoyancy (29).

Abstract: Unmanned underwater vehicles (1) which can be controlled from a carrier platform (2) by an optical waveguide cable (3) can be used for widely differing missions. For mine countermeasures, the loss of the underwater vehicle (1) is often accepted, with the optical waveguide cable (3) also being destroyed by the explosion. To reduce the costs of a mission of the underwater vehicle, the invention provides for the optical waveguide cable (3) to be connected to the underwater vehicle (1) via a connecting device (4). The connecting device (4) comprises a connecting cable (8) and connecting elements (11, 12) at the ends (9, 10) of the connecting cable (8) for an optical waveguide cable (3) at one end and for an unmanned underwater vehicle (1) at the other end.

Abstract: A method for detecting anomalies on a submarine object, in particular in the submarine region on a hull of a moored warcraft, which method carries out very reliable sensing of the submarine object by way of an unmanned small submarine vehicle that is equipped with simple sensor equipment, such as an acoustic sensor for measuring distances and a barometric cell for determining depth, and which method obtains a profile of the submarine object by navigating the small submarine vehicle with a constant transversal distance to the submarine object, in which profile an anomaly present on the submarine object becomes is apparent from the profile line.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a weapon clearance device for clearing weapons by detonating the weapon, a combined weapon clearance device comprising the weapon clearance device and an unmanned underwater vehicle, and a method associated therewith for clearing weapons. The weapon clearance device comprises a retaining device for fixing the weapon clearance device to the weapon or in the surrounding area of the weapon. The weapon clearance device is a driveless attachment for the unmanned underwater vehicle comprising a means for the releasable connection to the unmanned underwater vehicle. The mass of the weapon clearance device under water is invariably less or greater than the mass of the water displaced by the weapon clearance device under water. The weapon clearance device is thus not neutral in terms of buoyancy, which provides advantages when clearing sunk ground mines as well as floating mines by approaching the mine from above and/or from below.

Abstract: The invention relates to a weapon clearance appliance for clearing weapons, such as underwater mines or munitions which have been sunk in waterways, under water by detonation of the weapon. In this case, the weapon clearance appliance is provided with means for detachable connection to an unmanned underwater vehicle, so that the underwater vehicle is a safe distance away when the weapon is detonated. In order to allow the use of conventional small underwater vehicles, the volume of the weapon clearance appliance is chosen such that the buoyancy force which acts on the weapon clearance appliance under water compensates for the force of gravity acting on the weapon clearance appliance. Therefore, the weapon clearance appliance has neutral buoyancy, as a result of which, after the weapon clearance appliance has been released from the underwater vehicle, there is no need to retrim the underwater vehicle. There is therefore no need for trimming devices on the underwater vehicle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for passive determination of target data (R, K, V) associated with a target from measured and estimated bearing angles. The measured bearing angles (4) are determined by a sonar receiving installation (2) by directionally selective reception of sound waves which are emitted or sent from a target, and the estimated bearing angles are determined from estimated positions of the target. The bearing angle differences from estimated and measured bearing angles are minimized iteratively over a plurality of processing cycles, and a position of the target, on which the minimum is based, is determined as the optimized solution (12). Furthermore, limit values (10) are defined for the target data (R, K, V) to be determined, in order to exclude unrealistic target data as solutions.

Abstract: A method for measuring a contour of the ground by means of a transmitting arrangement for the directed emission of sound signals and by means of a receiving arrangement including at least two transducers for receiving the sound signals reflected from the contour of the ground. Sound signals are emitted consecutively using a plurality of N soundings from predetermined positions P1, P2, P3, P4, . . . , PN having different aspect angles ?N in relation to and distances rN from the contour of the ground. A phase difference, the path differences resulting therefrom, the corresponding angles of incidence, and the coordinates of incidence are ascertained from the receive signals of the transducers for a plurality of sampling times and for the N soundings. Afterwards, the data density is ascertained within a predefined range containing the coordinate of incidence.

Abstract: A method for measuring a profile of the ground involves using a transmitting arrangement, which is attached to a watercraft, for the directed emission of sound signals into an underwater area and a receiving arrangement having at least two transducers for receiving sound waves reflected by the profile of the ground.

Abstract: The invention relates to an unmanned underwater vehicle having at least one sensor unit (7) which can be used to acquire sensor information (8) relating to objects in the area surrounding the underwater vehicle (1). The invention also relates to a method for operating the unmanned underwater vehicle (1). In order to sense structures and contours of objects under water as quickly and accurately as possible, the invention provides for the at least one sensor unit (7) to be arranged such that it can be moved in a tangential direction (12) of the underwater vehicle, that is to say tangentially with respect to the longitudinal axis (14) of the underwater vehicle (1) or an axis running parallel to the longitudinal axis, and can be positioned in the circumferential direction (12) by a positioning device (13) to which the sensor information (8) can be specified.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for operating an unmanned underwater vehicle, wherein the underwater vehicle has determining means which determine a usability indicator. A use recommendation for the use of the underwater vehicle in a future mission can be derived or is derived from this usability indicator. The determination of the usability indicator takes place as a function of at least one operating parameter of the underwater vehicle. A decision aid relating to the suitability of the underwater vehicle for a respective purpose of use can be made available for an underwater vehicle, which can be used for different purposes by means of the invention. In addition, the invention relates to an underwater vehicle which has at least the determining means and/or storage means for storing a usability indicator which is determined by means of the device according to the invention.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for passive determination of target parameters by directionally selective reception of sound waves emitted or transmitted from a target, by an arrangement (24) of underwater sound sensors of a sonar receiving installation from estimated bearing angles determined from estimated positions of the target, and bearing angles measured at the measurement point by the arrangement (24). A bearing angle difference between measured and estimated bearing angles is iteratively minimized and, when the minimum is reached, the target parameters are used for an optimized solution for outputting target position, course, range and/or velocity and they are updated during each processing cycle in a series of successive processing cycles.