Skunkworks Morphing UAV Launched from Submarine, page 1
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Topic started on 10-9-2006 @ 02:17 PM by gfad
During a recent scour of the US patent office website in search of new applications by Lockheed, Northrop or Boeing I found a few interesting entries but the most fascinating and relevant was made on behalf of Lockheed Martin and is for the method of launch, recovery and re-launch of an immersible UAV. It was accompanied by this image:


This of course piqued my attention as it features our favourite Skunkworks UAV, the morphing wing.

Morphing UAV thread.

The full patent makes interesting reading and details how this idea could be used by a submerged submarine or a surface ship. The UAV could be equipped with recon or attack payloads.

The UAV is also described in detail or at least its operation is. Inflatable covers would seal large openings such as the jet inlet and exhaust in conjunction with silicon seals on smaller joins and doors. The interior of the plane would also be pressurised with nitrogen to protect it from the pressure exerted by the sea. The UAV could be launched from an ICBM tube on a Trident sub and it could then float partially to the surface, rocket boosters would power it over the surface where the covers over the engine inlets would retract and the jet engine would start. The rocket boosters would then be jettisoned. The UAV is also buoyant so it can make either an engine-off “whip-stall” landing in the sea or a parachute landing on the water, the UAV does not require any pontoons or additional floatation devices.

It even goes into detail of how a lead recon UAV could be launched which would identify time sensitive targets for following armed UAVs which would relay post-attack data back to the lead which would transmit back to the sub or ship.

Unfortunately the 14 diagrams which accompany the patent are not available except the one which I have posted here, so additional information is not really available either but I will try and get them as soon as possible.

Interestingly the patent includes the phrase “the aircraft is preferably unmanned” perhaps leaving it open for using this procedure with a manned craft.

Of course while reading this I couldn’t help but think of our favourite debunked video, perhaps this could become reality at some point!
Jet Taking Off From the Sea




reply posted on 10-9-2006 @ 07:11 PM by Mike_A
I’m not all that convinced that the Cormorant will be worth the cost. What exactly can this do that production X-47B derivatives couldn’t do?

Here are the projected specs: -

Cormorant

Payload – 1000 lb
Endurance – 3 hr
Radius – 500 nm
Max Speed – 0.8M
Ceiling – 35000 ft

X-47B

Payload – 4500 lb
Endurance – 9 hr
Radius – 1600 nm
Max Speed – 0.7M
Ceiling – 40000 ft


As far as I can see an X-47B taking off from a carrier 1600 nm away from a target could do anything that a Cormorant could do launching from just 500 nm away. The only benefit is perhaps speed to the target but that depends on how long it takes to launch the vehicle from underwater compared to a carrier.

Stealth doesn’t come into it in my opinion since there’s no potential US enemy that would be able to detect the launch of an X-47B from 1000 nm away any more than they could a Cormorant. With good enough sonar it might even be the case that the Cormorant is the easier of the two to detect. There’s also the fact that SSGNs aren’t really built for the literals. Given the nature of its launch and recover methods I’m willing to bet that the Cormorant is probably the most expensive as well both in terms of development, unit price and through life costs (maintenance would probably be a bitch!). In fact, speaking of maintenance, how many launches could an SSGN carry out given that it requires rocket boosters for launch and it could well be very difficult to maintain in the conditions of a submarine; it may only be possible to launch these once.

I honestly can’t see this making it to production, an interesting concept but not all that practical in my opinion.
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