Arctic submarine buoy and application methods

The method of correcting navigation position information of the latitude and longitude in the electronic navigation system carried by a submarine with said submarine being submerged under an ice pack, said navigation system including input means for permitting entry of new latitude and longitude information to replace such latitude and longitude information existing in said navigation system, comprising the steps of:

• releasing a buoy from the submarine into the seawater beneath the ice with said buoy containing a Global Positioning Satellite receiver means, antenna means, transmitter means and thermochemical ice penetrator means, whereby following an interval of time after release of said buoy said penetrator means breaks through the ice and said antenna means is extended to receive RF signals from said Global positioning system satellites and couple that information to said Global positioning system receiver means;
• transmitting the received Global positioning system information from said Global positioning system receiver means to said submarine via said transmitter means;
• receiving Global positioning system information in said submarine;
• and
• entering the Global positioning system information received in said submarine into said submarine electronic navigation system.

A ice penetrating Arctic rescue buoy for a submarine, comprising:

• A housing;
• Thermochemical ice penetrating means located at the top end of said housing for melting ice to form a passage through a layer of ice;
• Floatation means coupled to said housing for providing a buoyant upward force on said buoy responsive to said buoy being immersed in water upon release from said submarine to press said ice penetrating means against any overlying layer of ice;
• Antenna means, said antenna means being adapted to be released from said housing structure and moved through a passage in said ice formed by said ice penetrating means to an exposed position above said ice;
• Emergency Position Information Radio Beacon transmitter means coupled to said antenna means for transmitting RF signals of a predetermined frequency to Emergency Position Information Radio Beacon satellites to send information of a submarine in peril:
• and
• Homing beacon transmitter means coupled to said antenna means for sending a homing beacon above the ice layer whereby the buoy alerts others of the need for rescue and provides guidance to potential rescuers to the location of the buoy.

A ice penetrating Arctic surveillance buoy adapted to be carried by and released from a submarine, comprising:

• a housing;
• thermochemical ice penetrating means located at the top end of said housing for penetrating ice to form a passage through a layer of ice;
• floatation means coupled to said housing for providing a buoyant upward force on said buoy responsive to said buoy being immersed in water upon release from said submarine to press said ice penetrating means against any overlying layer of ice;
• sensor means, said sensor means being adapted to be released from said housing structure and moved through a passage in said ice formed by said ice penetrating means to an exposed position above said ice to detect ambient conditions above the ice;
• receiver means for receiving information from said sensor means to provide at an output information sensed of above the ice conditions, wherein said receiver means detects and decodes and temporarily stores in memory said sensed information;
• and
• transmitting means coupled to said receiver means for transmitting said sensed information stored by said receiver means into an underwater data link for transmission to a submerged submarine.