Propulsion defeating system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsFelipe A. Garcia, Gregory A. Reitmeyer, Robert C. Woodall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for reducing the operational efficiency of a watercraft's propulsion system includes a self-propelled and variable-speed unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that has at least one homing device adapted to direct the UUV towards an origin of a targeted watercraft's propulsion wake. At least one rod is coupled to a forward end of the UUV and extends forward therefrom at least when the UUV is in proximity to the origin of the targeted watercraft's propulsion wake. At this point, the UUV is directed and accelerated to drive the rod into the targeted watercraft's propulsor.
Claims17
A system for reducing the operational efficiency of a watercraft's propulsion system, comprising:
- a self-propelled and variable-speed unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), having an aft end with a propulsion system, said UUV including at least one homing device adapted to direct said UUV towards an origin of a targeted watercraft's propulsion wake;
- and
- at least one rod coupled to and retracted within a forward end, opposite the aft end, of said UUV, said rod being extendable from said UUV upon demand when said UUV is in proximity to the origin of the targeted watercraft's propulsion wake, wherein, the rod remains fixed to said UUV.
A system for reducing the operational efficiency of a watercraft's propulsion system, comprising:
- a self-propelled and variable-speed unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), said UUV including an acoustic homing device adapted to direct said UUV towards an origin of a targeted watercraft's propulsion wake;
- and
- at least one rod coupled to and retracted within a forward end of said UUV and extendable upon demand from said UUV when said UUV is in proximity to the origin of the targeted watercraft's propulsion wake, each said rod incorporating a weakened region at a location along the length thereof and forward of said UUV wherein, when said UUV reaches the origin of the targeted watercraft's propulsion wake, said at least one rod is adapted to engage a portion of the watercraft's propulsion system wherein said at least one rod breaks at said weakened region thereof.
A system for reducing the operational efficiency of a watercraft's propulsion system, comprising:
- a self-propelled and variable-speed unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), said UUV including an acoustic homing device adapted to direct said UUV towards an origin of a targeted watercraft's propulsion wake;
- a floating RF antenna coupled to said UUV and adapted to receive information on the position of the targeted watercraft;
- and
- at least one rod coupled to and retracted within a forward end of said UUV and extendable upon demand from said UUV when said UUV is in proximity to the origin of the targeted watercraft's propulsion wake.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.