Technology Development of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs)

Abstract

In recent years, the weapon systems have been changing drastically because of the advancement of science technology and the change of military concept of combat. There is an unmanned system at the center of all those changes. Especially , in case of maritime environment, as the center stage of combat has changed from ocean to coastal areas, it is difficult for the existing naval forces to effectively operate in shallow waters. Therefore, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are being required at an increasing pace. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of already developed UUVs, which are the key un-manned system of the marine battlefield environment in the future. Through the analysis of development cases and the investigation of the essential technologies , the critical design issues of UUVs are elaborated. We also suggest the future directions of the UUV technologies based on the case analysis.