A first generation of autonomous underwater vehicles is now in the hands of military users. But where does the technology go next? Capitalising on technology and expertise nurtured in the commercial and scientific arenas, unmanned autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have over the past decade begun to enter the mainstream of naval and maritime security operations. Indeed, future generations may identify March 2003 as a watershed. This was the moment when the US Navy deployed the Hydroid REMUS 100 system into the warm, shallow waters of the northern Arabian Gulf to systematically map the approaches into Umm Qasr using sidescan sonar, marking the first recorded use of AUVs in a live military operation.
展开▼
