eddo36 16 Posted October 6, 2014 http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/tech/innovation/navy-swarm-boats/index.html (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy is getting ready to "swarm" its adversaries. The Office of Naval Research over the weekend released video of tests conducted in August that showed five "drone" boats swarming a vessel that posed a threat to a Navy ship. "The U.S. Navy is unleashing a new era in advanced ship protection," the service says in the video. Controlled by what the Navy calls Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS), a sensor and software kit that is transferable among small vessels, a fleet of more than a dozen small unmanned boats cruise along the James River in Virginia, setting up a protective screen on a Navy research ship. When a threatening vessel is detected, five boats break off to confront it. "If I was the actual target it would be pretty intimidating to see five boats rushing at me," Sam Calabrese, pilot of the "bad guy" vessel, said in the Navy video. One developer likened the robot boats to "guard dogs" that could swim around a warship and detect threats before they come within striking range. And like dogs, the robot boats actually think for themselves, with their software choosing the best route for each boat to confront a threatening vessel. The drone boats could be armed to fire on adversaries, but fire control would come from a sailor on an accompanying warship. The system also allows the Navy to save money because no special boats have to be built to deploy it. The boats used in the August demonstration came from inventory now carried on Navy warships, the Navy video said. "Any boat can be fitted with a kit that allows it to operate autonomously and together swarm on any threat," the video says. The CARACaS software was originally designed for NASA's Mars rovers, the Navy video says, and adapted for use by small boats. The Navy released the video just a week before the 14th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen that killed 17 American sailors. The Cole was attack by a small boat packed with explosives which blew a 40-foot-by-60-foot hole in the side of the destroyer when detonated. It's the kind of attack Navy officials think a swarm of unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, could prevent without putting any sailors in harm's way. "While the attack on Cole was not the only motivation for developing autonomous swarm capability, it certainly is front and center in our minds, and hearts," Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, chief of naval research, said in a statement. "If Cole had been supported by autonomous USVs, they could have stopped that attack long before it got close to our brave men and women on board." The Navy release says swarmboat capabilities could also play a role in protecting U.S. ports. The U.S. Coast Guard was part of the tests the Navy carried out in August. The Navy did not give a date for when the system could be deployed in the fleet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sgt.Spoetnik 10 Posted October 6, 2014 "While the attack on Cole was not the only motivation for developing autonomous swarm capability, it certainly is front and center in our minds, and hearts," Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, chief of naval research, said in a statement. "If Cole had been supported by autonomous USVs, they could have stopped that attack long before it got close to our brave men and women on board." i read it and have my own toughts about it; and this part is really good,cause now they can deploy the same tactic, fill a unmanned drone boat(cause only so far its about little rhib boats nothing big, yet)with explosives and ram into any one that dont comply with their orders to comply and even blame it on "terrorists,same with planes cars etc,we do have to realise that it dont stop at boats or drones, it can and will work on every thing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drebin052 323 Posted October 7, 2014 i read it and have my own toughts about it; and this part is really good,cause now they can deploy the same tactic, fill a unmanned drone boat(cause only so far its about little rhib boats nothing big, yet)with explosives and ram into any one that dont comply with their orders to comply and even blame it on "terrorists,same with planes cars etc,we do have to realise that it dont stop at boats or drones, it can and will work on every thing! Got plenty of tinfoil hats here. You want one? Oh wait... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sgt.Spoetnik 10 Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) yeah sure,its easier to attack and deny by puthing your heads in the sand than to open your eyes and edjucate yourself , you should know, living in Australia! Btw you prob never heard of a Fire-tireme/galley dont you?! been in use since the greeks and even before, since the use off boats and shipping through the ages! Edited October 7, 2014 by Sgt.Spoetnik Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krycek 349 Posted October 7, 2014 I understand about US ports but in case of warships instead using those unmanned bugger bots why not use...the damn arsenal on said warships to sink a possible enemy ship??Apparently missiles and crapload of cannons aren't cool anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mistyronin 1181 Posted October 7, 2014 I understand about US ports but in case of warships instead using those unmanned bugger bots why not use...the damn arsenal on said warships to sink a possible enemy ship??Apparently missiles and crapload of cannons aren't cool anymore. I guess the idea is to dissuade. It's way easier, safer and probably cheaper to use a missile from a lot of miles away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
