Method For The Destruction Of A Localized Mine

Abstract

A method for the destruction of a localized mine, wherein an unmanned underwater vessel cooperates as a primary vessel (11) withy another unmanned remote-controlled underwater vessel acting as a secondary vessel (12) and which is provided with an explosive charge for explosion purposes. To reduce clearing costs compared to a method that uses a disposable vessel and to reduce clearing times compared to a method using a re-usable clearing vehicle, the primary and secondary vessels (11, 12) are used in an autonomously operating mode wherein the secondary vessel (12) is remotely controlled by the primary vessel (11). The tandem mode is effected as far as the mine (33) from the primary vessel (11) outwards by use of stored positional data on the localized mine (33) and on-board assisted navigation data; the mine (33) is relocalized using optical and/or optical sensors, and the secondary vessel (12) is positioned in relation to the mine (33) in a remote-controlled manner once the mine has been relocalized and the explosive charge is exploded by remote control.

Description

The invention relates to a method for the destruction of a localized mine, of the generic type defined in the precharacterizing clause of claim 1.

In the case of a known method for the detection and destruction of mines (EP 0 535 044 B1), an unmanned, remotely controlled underwater vehicle, a so-called ROV, as well as a remotely controlled search and mine destruction unit, which is equipped with an explosive charge for mine destruction, are used and are connected to one another via a glass fiber cable. The ROV is connected via a further glass fiber cable to a surface vessel which has a sonar system for detection and location of mines. The mine and search unit is also equipped with a transponder, acoustic sensors such as a short-wave sonar, with optical sensors, such as a TV camera with an illumination unit, and with sensors for measurement of actual data for navigation, such as the direction of travel, the angle with respect to the horizontal plane, the distance from the seabed and the dive depth. The transponder corresponds with an acoustic position system (APS), whose hydrophones are arranged on the ROV. The ROV has a launching unit, a so-called launcher, which is used to deploy the search and mine destruction unit. The search and mine destruction unit is steered by means of the APS by an operator, who is positioned in the surface vessel, with respect to the sonar beam of the mine hunting sonar, which is directed at the mine. The search and mine destruction unit, whose transponder signals are displayed in the same way as the mine echo signals on the display of the mine hunting sonar, is then controlled by the operator towards the mine, in the sonar beam of the mine hunting sonar. The mine is examined by means of the TV camera, and the search and mine destruction unit is moved by the operator to a position with respect to the mine which is suitable for its destruction, and is then remotely detonated by the operator. The explosion of the explosive charge of the search and mine destruction unit which, for example, may be a shaped charge, initiates detonation of the mine, with the search and mine destruction unit also being destroyed. With its acoustic, optical and navigation sensors, the search and mine destruction unit is a relatively costly clearance appliance but, for certain application, the time saving in mine destruction justifies the costs incurred.

In applications in which the clearance times are less important in comparison to the procurement costs of the search and mine destruction unit, the search and mine destruction unit is not designed as a disposable vehicle with a weapon characteristic but as a reusable underwater vehicle which simply places an explosive charge adjacent to the mine and is recovered again by a surface vessel before detonation of the explosive charge and mine (Buschhorn and Schutz “Minenjagd—eine moderne Variante de Seeminenabwehr” [Mine hunting—a modern variant of defense against sea mines] Jahrbuch der Wehrtechnik [Defense technology annual] 1976/77, pages 142-151). Once the search and mine destruction unit has returned to the surface vessel, the explosive charge is detonated remotely from the surface vessel, for example by throwing a hand grenade into the water. The detonation of the explosive charge which this results in initiated via an acoustic fuze destroys the mine by sympathetic detonation of the mine as a result of the detonation of the explosive charge.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a method for mine destruction which minimizes the costs for the clearance appliance and results in the clearance times being shortened considerably in comparison to methods which use a reusable search and mine destruction unit.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by the features in claim 1.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that the use of a primary vehicle and of a secondary vehicle which are both unmanned and have their own propulsion system, as an autonomous tandem, that is to say a tandem which is independent of a platform, allows the system components to be split in a cost-saving manner between the reusable primary vehicle and the secondary vehicle, which is designed as a disposable vehicle and represents a weapon similar to a torpedo. This allows the costs which result from destruction of the secondary vehicle to be kept quite low. With the knowledge of the position data relating to a mine which has already been localized and with the aid of navigation data from an on-board-based navigation device in the primary vehicle, the tandem moves autonomously to the mine, while the primary vehicle moves the secondary vehicle directly adjacent to the mine by remote control, and initiates the fuze for the explosive charge by means of an appropriate detonation signal. Because it has its own propulsion system and its own steering apparatus, the secondary vehicle can be moved by the primary vehicle to an optimum position for detonation of the mine, and can also be held in this position until the primary vehicle has reached a safe separation distance from the mine. The setting of an optimum position of the secondary vehicle in turn allows a small explosive charge to be used to reliably detonate the mine, so that the physical space which is required in the secondary vehicle for accommodation of the explosive charge, as well as the total weight of the secondary vehicle, are reduced. This is of considerable importance for mine clearance since a greater number of secondary vehicles can then be kept available for one primary vehicle, and can also be carried on the platform. In comparison to a clearance appliance which places an explosive charge adjacent to the mine, the secondary vehicle, which represents a “mini-effector”, can be placed very much more accurately and can cause reliable destruction of the mine with a considerably smaller amount of explosive.

Expedient embodiments of the method according to the invention together with advantageous developments and refinements of the method are specified in the further claims.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the primary vehicle and secondary vehicle are connected to one another by means of a cable via which steering signals as well as propulsion power for the secondary vehicle are transmitted from the primary vehicle to the secondary vehicle, and an electrical detonation signal for remote initiation of the explosive charge is also transmitted. While the tandem is traveling submerged to the mine, the cable length deployed between the primary vehicle and the secondary vehicle is controlled such that it is continuously matched to the instantaneous distance between the vehicles. This prevents the possibility of the cable (in contrast to a cable which is being unwound and is hanging loosely) from being able to snag and tear on objects or bodies, or on external elements on the secondary vehicle traveling in front of it, while approaching the mine.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the localization of the mine and the determination of the position data relating to the localized mine, which is stored in the primary vehicle for the mine destruction mission, are carried out from the platform deploying the tandem, to be precise with the aid of a mine hunting sonar which is known per se.

A mine destruction system which is used with the method according to the invention is specified in claim 13, and further refinements and improvements of the mine destruction system are specified in claims 14 to 17.

The invention will be described in more detail in the following text with reference to one exemplary embodiment, which is illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 6 show successive instantaneous sections of the method for destruction of a localized mine,

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a primary vehicle used for the method as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, and

FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of a secondary vehicle used for the method as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

In the case of the method for mine destruction as described in the following text, a primary vehicle 11 and a secondary vehicle 12 are used, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 5. The vehicles 11, 12 are carried by a platform 10 which, for example, is a surface vessel, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Alternatively, platform 10 may also be a submarine, an inflatable boat or a helicopter. Each of the two vehicles 11,12 which is illustrated in the form of a block diagram in FIGS. 7 and 8 itself has at least one propulsion motor 13 or 14, respectively, which is preferably an electric motor, and a respective steering apparatus 15 or 16 for actuation of control surfaces 17 and 18, respectively. The primary vehicle 11 also has an energy source 19 in the form of a fuel cell, a battery or a rechargeable battery, and a navigation device 20, and is equipped with acoustic sensors 21 and optical sensors 22 for underwater use. A short-range sonar which is known per se is preferably used as the acoustic sensor, and a TV camera with an illumination device is preferably used as the optical sensor. A cable drum 23 is also installed in the primary vehicle 11, and a connection cable 24 which can be connected to the secondary vehicle 12 is wound up on this cable drum. All of the components are controlled by a control unit 25, which has artificial intelligence 26 for processing of position data relating to a localized mine, and navigation data from the navigation device 20. A memory 27, which is accessed by the control unit 25, is provided for storage of the position data relating to a mine which is intended to be destroyed once it has been localized.

The secondary vehicle 12, which is designed as a disposable vehicle, represents a so-called mini-effector, which is essentially equipped only with an explosive charge 28 for mine destruction and with an associated fuze 29. The propulsion power is supplied to the secondary vehicle 12 from the energy source 19 in the primary vehicle 11 via the connection cable 24. The connection cable 24 is also used for the transmission of steering signals to the steering apparatus 16 in the secondary vehicle 12, and for transmission of an initiation signal, which activates the fuze 29. Control electronics 30 ensure that the individual components are actuated as a function of the signals which are transmitted via the connection cable 24.

The method is carried out as follows, using these two vehicles 11, 12, which are used as an autonomously operating tandem during a mine destruction mission.

The specified mine clearance area is searched by the platform 10 by means of an actively locating sonar, a so-called mine hunting sonar 31. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, a mine 33 which is lying on the seabed 32, for example, is detected during this process, and is localized by determination of its position data in an earth-based coordinate system. If the localized mine 33 is intended to be destroyed, then the position data is stored in the memory 27 in the primary vehicle 11, and the two vehicles 11, 12, which are connected to one another by means of a connection cable 24, are placed in the water (FIG. 2) by means of a launching apparatus 34 (FIG. 1). The tandem which is formed by the two underwater vehicles 11, 12 operates autonomously in that steering signals both for the primary vehicle 11 and for the secondary vehicle 12 are generated in the primary vehicle 11 by means of the stored position data relating to the localized mine 33, and the navigation data in the navigation device 20, and these steering signals are passed to the steering apparatuses 15 and 16 in the two vehicles 11, 12. In this case, the data is processed using algorithms with the artificial intelligence 26. During this process, the tandem first of all travels by the shortest possible route in the direction of the seabed 32 (FIG. 2) in order then to approach the mine 33 along the seabed 32, but at a distance from it (FIG. 3). During this mission movement, the deployed cable length between the primary vehicle 11 and the secondary vehicle 12 is continuously matched (FIGS. 2 and 3) to the instantaneous distance between the vehicles 11, 12 by controlling the cable drum 23 in the primary vehicle 11. There is therefore only a minimum amount of slack in the deployed cable length of the connection cable 24, so that the connecting piece of the connection cable 24 which is sliding in the water cannot be snagged on objects in the water, or be caught on projecting elements on the primary vehicle or secondary vehicle.

The mine 33 is relocalized by the primary vehicle 11 by means of the acoustic sensor 21 (FIG. 4), that is to say its position data is redetermined and is written to the memory 27, so that the control unit 25 with the artificial intelligence 26 is now provided with improved position data relating to the mine 33 in order to produce the steering signals of the secondary vehicle 12, and the primary vehicle 11 can now steer the secondary vehicle 12 precisely to the mine 33. Once the secondary vehicle 12 has reached the mine 33 (FIG. 5), a detonation signal is generated in the primary vehicle 11 and is passed via the connection cable 24 to the fuze 29 in the secondary vehicle 12, where it fires the explosive charge 28 which, for example, may be in the form of a shaped charge, against the mine 33. On detonation of the mine 33, the secondary vehicle 12 is destroyed, and the connection cable 24 is torn apart (FIG. 6). Once the secondary vehicle 12 has been positioned adjacent to the mine 33, a program routine is initiated in the control unit 25 in the primary vehicle 11, causing the primary vehicle 11 to return to the platform 10, whose position data is likewise stored in the memory 27 in the primary vehicle 11, and the control unit 25 applies appropriate steering signals for this purpose to the steering apparatus 15 in the primary vehicle 11.

With some types of mine, it is necessary to visually inspect the mine accurately, in order to place the secondary vehicle 12 optimally adjacent to the mine 33. In this case, the tandem approaches the mine 33 very closely so that all the details of the mine 33 can be seen from the primary vehicle 11 by means of the illumination and the TV camera (FIG. 4). The control unit 25 uses this optical data to generate appropriate steering signals for the secondary vehicle 12, which are passed to the secondary vehicle 12, in order to select an optimum position for detonation against the mine 33. In this case, it is advantageous to store data relating to the optical appearance of various mine types in the primary vehicle, and to compare the data recorded by the TV camera with the stored data. This allows the mine to be identified very precisely, and allows the best position of the secondary vehicle to be selected on the basis of the known characteristics of the identified mine. The primary vehicle 11 then moves to a safe distance away from the mine 33 (FIG. 5), and causes the explosive charge 28 to explode, by means of a detonation signal (FIG. 6).

The invention is not restricted to the described exemplary embodiment. For example, the position data relating to the localized mine need not be stored in the primary vehicle before the start of the mission movement of the tandem. It can also be transmitted from the platform to the primary vehicle by wire-free underwater communication while the tandem is traveling on its mission.

Claims

1. A method for the destruction of a localized mine (33), in which an unmanned underwater vehicle cooperates as a primary vehicle (11) with an unmanned, remotely controlled underwater vehicle as a secondary vehicle (12), which is equipped with an explosive charge (28), for detonation of the localized mine (33), characterized in that the two underwater vehicles (11, 12) are used as an autonomously operating tandem, in which the secondary vehicle (12) is remotely controlled from the primary vehicle (11), in that the tandem is guided to the mine (33) from the primary vehicle (11) by means of stored position data relating to the localized mine (33) and on-board-based navigation data, in that the mine (33) is relocalized from the primary vehicle (11) by means of acoustic and/or optical sensors (21, 22), in that, once the mine (33) has been relocalized, the secondary vehicle (12) is positioned by remote control from the primary vehicle adjacent to the mine (33), and in that the explosive charge (28) is remotely detonated from the primary vehicle (11).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the primary vehicle (11) additionally optically identifies the relocalized mine (33) and uses stored mine data to optimize the position of the secondary vehicle (12) adjacent to the mine (33).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a program routine is carried out in the primary vehicle (11) before remote detonation of the explosive charge (28) and initiates a movement of the primary vehicle (11) away from the mine (33) corresponding to a predetermined safety separation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position data relating to the localized mine (33) is stored in the primary vehicle (11) before the start of the mission for mine destruction.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position data relating to the localized mine (33) is transmitted to the primary vehicle (11) while carrying out the mine destruction mission.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that steering signals for the primary and the secondary vehicle (11, 12) are calculated in the primary vehicle (11) by means of artificial intelligence (26) from the position data relating to the localized mine (33) and from the on-board-based navigation data.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the primary vehicle (11) and secondary vehicle (12) are connected to one another by a connection cable (34), and the steering signals are transmitted from the primary vehicle (11) to the secondary vehicle (12) via the connection cable (24).

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that propulsion energy which is required by the secondary vehicle (12) is transmitted from the primary vehicle (11) via the connection cable (24).

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that a detonation signal for remote initiation of the explosive charge (28) in the secondary vehicle (12) is transmitted via the connection cable (24).

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, while moving in tandem to the localized mine (33), the cable length of the connection cable (24) which is deployed between the primary vehicle (11) and the secondary vehicle (12) is controlled such that it is continuously matched to the instantaneous distance between the two vehicles (11, 12).

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the primary vehicle (11) and secondary vehicle (12) are carried jointly on a platform (10), and are configured as a tandem after deployment from the platform (10).

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the localization of the mine (33) and the determination of the position data relating to the localized mine (33) are carried out by means of an actively locating sonar device which is arranged on the platform (10).

13. A mine destruction system having two unmanned underwater vehicles which each have at least one propulsion motor (13, 14) and a steering apparatus (15, 16) respectively, one of which is remotely controlled and has an explosive charge which can be detonated remotely for mine destruction, and having acoustic and/or optical sensors (21, 22) for underwater use, characterized in that the underwater vehicles form a tandem which operates autonomously and is composed of a primary vehicle (11) and a secondary vehicle (12), in that the primary vehicle (11) has a memory (27) for storage of the position data relating to a localized mine (33), a navigation device (20) and control electronics (25), and is equipped with the acoustic and/or optical sensors (21, 22), and in that the secondary vehicle (12) is equipped with the explosive charge (28) and with a fuze (29) for remote detonation of the explosive charge (28).

14. The mine destruction system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the primary vehicle (11) and the secondary vehicle (12) are connected to one another via a connection cable (24), and in that the connection cable (24) is designed to transmit steering signals to the steering apparatus (16) for the secondary vehicle (12), and/or to transmit electrical power from an energy source (19), which is arranged in the primary vehicle (11), to the secondary vehicle (12).

15. The mine destruction system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the connection cable (24) can be wound up on a cable drum (23) which is installed in the primary vehicle (11), and in that the cable drum (23) can be controlled such that the deployed length of the connection cable (24) from the cable drum (23) is continuously matched to the instantaneous distance between the primary vehicle (11) and the secondary vehicle (12).

16. The mine destruction system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the primary vehicle (11) has artificial intelligence (26) for processing of the position data relating to the mine (33), and of the navigation data from the navigation device (20).

17. The mine destruction system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the acoustic sensors (21) have a short-range sensor, and the optical sensors (22) have a TV camera with illumination.