Abstract: A ring assembly of an underwater acoustic sensor (hydrophone) system includes a ring that has brackets that mount the hydrophones evenly circumferentially spaced apart. The ring assembly may have three hydrophones mounted on the ring, with the hydrophones maintained in a triplet configuration. Multiple ring assemblies may be stacked in a nested array, with the hydrophones of adjacent stacked ring assemblies offset circumferentially, with each of the hydrophones overlapping multiple of the stacked rings, with the stacking accomplished such that the ring assemblies are in a helical array. Rings with non-acoustic sensors may be stacked with (and interspersed within) the stacked rings. The stacked array of ring assemblies (and non-acoustic sensor assemblies) may be stored in a canister that facilitates uniform and controlled descent and deployment of the assemblies, with ring assemblies and non-acoustic assemblies paying out sequentially from a float at the top of the array.

Abstract: An underwater vehicle includes a plurality of releasable panel members that are initially in a storage state in which the releasable panel members form a closed housing and the underwater vehicle is neutrally buoyant, an actuatable effector that is retained in the closed housing. The effector has an anchor and a positively buoyant upper unit opposite the anchor. When the plurality of releasable panel members are released to open the closed housing, the effector is separable from the releasable panel members and maintained in a vertically downward direction by the anchor and the positively buoyant upper unit.

Abstract: An underwater vehicle includes a plurality of releasable panel members that are initially in a storage state in which the releasable panel members form a closed housing and the underwater vehicle is neutrally buoyant, an actuatable effector that is retained in the closed housing. The effector has an anchor and a positively buoyant upper unit opposite the anchor. When the plurality of releasable panel members are released to open the closed housing, the effector is separable from the releasable panel members and maintained in a vertically downward direction by the anchor and the positively buoyant upper unit.

Abstract: An underwater vehicle includes a longitudinal body that defines a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about the longitudinal axis between a forward orientation and a sideways orientation, a wing attached to the longitudinal body that is moveable between a vertically extending wing orientation when the longitudinal body is in the forward orientation and a horizontally extending wing orientation when the longitudinal body is in the sideways orientation, a propulsion system having a front propulsion device and a rear propulsion device that is arranged rearwardly along the longitudinal axis relative to the front propulsion device, and an after-propulsion system arranged at a rear end of the longitudinal body that provides thrust along the longitudinal axis. The secondary propulsion system provides thrust in a perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An underwater vehicle includes a longitudinal body that defines a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about the longitudinal axis between a forward orientation and a sideways orientation, a wing attached to the longitudinal body that is moveable between a vertically extending wing orientation when the longitudinal body is in the forward orientation and a horizontally extending wing orientation when the longitudinal body is in the sideways orientation, a propulsion system having a front propulsion device and a rear propulsion device that is arranged rearwardly along the longitudinal axis relative to the front propulsion device, and an after-propulsion system arranged at a rear end of the longitudinal body that provides thrust along the longitudinal axis. The secondary propulsion system provides thrust in a perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A system and method to detect an object buried beneath the seabed are described. The system includes a moving platform, a low frequency signal source coupled to the platform to transmit a low frequency signal to an area of the seabed, and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) coupled to the platform to transmit a plurality of transmission beams to the area of the seabed at a respective plurality of angles at each position of a plurality of positions of the platform over the area. The LDV includes a plurality of receivers that receive a respective plurality of reflection beams resulting from the plurality of transmission beams. A processor develops a three-dimensional image that indicates the object, the processor determining a reflection value at each point of the three-dimensional image as a coherent combination of reflection from the point contributing to each of the plurality of reflection beams.

Abstract: A system and method to detect an object buried beneath the seabed are described. The system includes a moving platform, a low frequency signal source coupled to the platform to transmit a low frequency signal to an area of the seabed, and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) coupled to the platform to transmit a plurality of transmission beams to the area of the seabed at a respective plurality of angles at each position of a plurality of positions of the platform over the area. The LDV includes a plurality of receivers that receive a respective plurality of reflection beams resulting from the plurality of transmission beams. A processor develops a three-dimensional image that indicates the object, the processor determining a reflection value at each point of the three-dimensional image as a coherent combination of reflection from the point contributing to each of the plurality of reflection beams.

Abstract: Classification of a potential target is accomplished by receiving image information, detecting a potential target within the image information and determining a plurality of features forming a feature set associated with the potential target. The location of the potential target is compared with a detection database to determine if it is close to an element in the detection database. If not, a single-pass classifier receives a potential target's feature set, classifies the potential target, and transmits the location, feature set and classification to the detection database. If it is close, a fused multi-pass feature determiner determines fused multi-pass features of the potential target and a multi-pass classifier receives the potential target's feature set and fused multi-pass features, classifies the potential target, and transmits its location, feature set, fused multi-pass features and classification to the detection database.

Abstract: Classification of a potential target is accomplished by receiving image information, detecting a potential target within the image information and determining a plurality of features forming a feature set associated with the potential target. The location of the potential target is compared with a detection database to determine if it is close to an element in the detection database. If not, a single-pass classifier receives a potential target's feature set, classifies the potential target, and transmits the location, feature set and classification to the detection database. If it is close, a fused multi-pass feature determiner determines fused multi-pass features of the potential target and a multi-pass classifier receives the potential target's feature set and fused multi-pass features, classifies the potential target, and transmits its location, feature set, fused multi-pass features and classification to the detection database.