A passive ballast device, system and method of using same, configured for use with a submersible vehicle in a liquid environment, including a chamber having at least one rigid wall to define at least a portion of a chamber volume, and a passively movable compensator having at least first and second surfaces, the first surface configured to be exposed to the liquid environment, the second surface excluded from the liquid environment, and forming, together with the at least one wall of the chamber, a fluid-tight seal to establish the remainder of the chamber volume, to exclude the liquid environment from the chamber volume and configured to adjust the chamber volume to at least a first chamber volume and a second chamber volume. The chamber volume is configured to establish at least a first buoyancy and second buoyancy, the compensator is configured to respond to a change in environmental pressure within the liquid environment, and the compensator is passively moved by the change in environmental pressure to change the first chamber volume to the second chamber volume, thereby changing from the first buoyancy to the second buoyancy.

Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are operated by a host platform by configuring the AUVs with intermediate nodes (such as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)) so as to allow the host platform to manage multiple AUVs. The intermediate nodes act as a relay for communications between the host platform and the AUVs allowing the host platform to scale to higher numbers of vehicles thus simultaneously operating the entire fleet of AUVs. The AUVs may provide underwater mapping data. The host platform may be stationary. The host platform may communicate with the intermediate nodes by satellite.

Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are operated by a host platform by configuring the AUVs with intermediate nodes (such as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)) so as to allow the host platform to manage multiple AUVs. The intermediate nodes act as a relay for communications between the host platform and the AUVs allowing the host platform to scale to higher numbers of vehicles thus simultaneously operating the entire fleet of AUVs. The AUVs may provide underwater mapping data. The host platform may be stationary. The host platform may communicate with the intermediate nodes by satellite.

An underwater vehicle includes a hull extending along a main longitudinal axis and at least one first pincer member disposed towards a forward end of the hull, characterized in that it further includes a second pincer member disposed towards an aft end of the hull, which is an opposite end to the forward end, the first and second pincer members being disposed respectively on a first lateral part and a second lateral part of the hull, on opposite sides of the main longitudinal axis, and being configured to take an open position or a closed position, and a detection member and a guide member which are respectively configured to detect cables and in order for the first and second pincer members to come respectively into engagement with one of the respective cables.

An underwater vehicle includes a hull extending along a main longitudinal axis and at least one first pincer member disposed towards a forward end of the hull, characterized in that it further includes a second pincer member disposed towards an aft end of the hull, which is an opposite end to the forward end, the first and second pincer members being disposed respectively on a first lateral part and a second lateral part of the hull, on opposite sides of the main longitudinal axis, and being configured to take an open position or a closed position, and a detection member and a guide member which are respectively configured to detect cables and in order for the first and second pincer members to come respectively into engagement with one of the respective cables.

A lift based acoustic source is towable in an undersea environment by a towing vessel. A controller provides a combined lift control signal and an acoustic source signal. A control cable is joined between the towing vessel and a towed depressor having an active lift control system. The combined signal is used to control the towed depressor active lift control system. The towed depressor lift fluctuates in response to the source signal to generate the undersea acoustic signal. A hydrophone or hydrophone array can be provided for measuring the generated acoustic signal for feedback and monitoring.

A lift based acoustic source is towable in an undersea environment by a towing vessel. A controller provides a combined lift control signal and an acoustic source signal. A control cable is joined between the towing vessel and a towed depressor having an active lift control system. The combined signal is used to control the towed depressor active lift control system. The towed depressor lift fluctuates in response to the source signal to generate the undersea acoustic signal. A hydrophone or hydrophone array can be provided for measuring the generated acoustic signal for feedback and monitoring.

Methods and apparatus for inspecting an underwater vehicle. In embodiments, a system receives a SAR image for at least a portion of an exterior surface of an underwater vehicle and performs CCD processing to compare a baseline SAS image for the underwater vehicle with the received SAR image of the underwater vehicle to generate a CCD output corresponding to a measure of similarity of the baseline SAS image and the received SAS image. The system determines whether there was tampering of the underwater vehicle based on the measure of similarity.

Methods and apparatus for inspecting an underwater vehicle. In embodiments, a system receives a SAR image for at least a portion of an exterior surface of an underwater vehicle and performs CCD processing to compare a baseline SAS image for the underwater vehicle with the received SAR image of the underwater vehicle to generate a CCD output corresponding to a measure of similarity of the baseline SAS image and the received SAS image. The system determines whether there was tampering of the underwater vehicle based on the measure of similarity.

A sound source for acoustic communication, navigation, and networking of an underwater glider may include a cylindrical body, a rigid front section disposed anteriorly to the cylindrical body, a plurality of metal rods, a resonant pipe surrounding the rods, and a rod-mounted piezo-ceramic transducer disposed between the body and the front section. Each rod may be attached at a first end to an anterior portion of the body and at a second end to a posterior portion of the front section. The pipe may be disposed between the body and the front section. The transducer may be disposed within the pipe. A posterior end of the pipe may be separated from the anterior portion of the body by a first orifice, and an anterior end of the pipe may be separated from the posterior portion of the front section by a second orifice.