Flexible Unmanned Vehicle Stowage System

The Navy seeks a vehicle stowage solution that is universally compatible with a wide range of Navy Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) and can be utilized on an LPD 17 Class of ship. UUV manufacturers supply vehicle-specific stowage systems and handling cradles, requiring unique stowage space and specialized vehicle handling equipment/hardware. Select Engineering Services (SES) proposes an innovative stowage system for vehicle handling that integrates key characteristics of various vehicle-specific designs in a single modular system, accommodating a full array of Navy UUVs. Design considerations beyond the flexibility of the stowage system include ease of use for Navy personnel, shock absorption to limit shock or vibration loading, and deployable fabric panels aimed at protection from harsh/corrosive elements (e.g., salt water, rain, UV exposure). This modular system will allow ideal configurations for UUV positioning, loading/unloading, assembly/disassembly, and maintenance. Currently, a commercial product that is sufficiently flexible to provide a universal solution for UUV stowage across multiple vehicle types/classes is not available.