Undersea Warfare Analysis

The USW Analysis area provides objective, multi-warfare analyses to government sponsors that enable informed decisions on the required capabilities, development, acquisition, and operations of USW and integrated systems and Joint forces. JHU/APL looks at the entire spectrum of systems and forces from physical phenomenology to campaign scenarios and from initial warfighting capability requirements to completed, networked operational systems in a Joint context.

For more information, contact J. R . Benedict
USW Employment Opportunities

Undersea Warfare Assessments

Using assessments to evaluate performance of existing systems as well as those under consideration for development has taken on increasing importance and visibility, particularly in the Undersea Warfare community. To rapidly develop new system prototypes for Navy transformation, modeling and simulation has been relied upon to provide insights into potential system performance in a variety of geographic areas of interest to the U.S. Shrinking budgets and a desire to accelerate development timelines are two of the reasons assessments are used to evaluate systems at all levels of maturity. The cost to build a prototype system and take it out to sea for experimentation would limit the number of new technologies that the Navy could investigate. By using assessments to understand potential performance, identify shortfalls, and address high-risk areas, the Navy is able to select which technologies are worthy of future investment. Within the Undersea Warfare Business Area, several APL assessments over the past year for the Chief of Naval Operations have had significant impact on Navy investment decisions.

Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Analysis of Alternatives

APL teamed with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and led an Analysis of Alternatives (AOA) for a Large Displacement Mission Reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV). The AOA examined the cost and operational effectiveness of alternatives that varied in their sizes, sensor suites, and energy subsystems. Performance of the alternatives was estimated in conducting Anti- Submarine Warfare; Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance; Mine Countermeasures; and Special Operations Forces Support including payload delivery. Analysis results were briefed to a flag oversight board and will be used by the Navy to establish operational requirements and initiate an acquisition program.

Maritime and Port Physical Security

The Laboratory began actively researching and providing solutions to deal with asymmetric threats to ships and maritime facilities well before the attack on USS COLE.  To date, we have examined the entire range of unconventional threats on, above, and below the water in port and littoral environments.  Using our core competencies of operations analysis and systems engineering, we develop or assemble information from disparate disciplines including intelligence, weapon effects, port and platform operations, sensor phenomenology, technology, and the environment.  In recognition that individual maritime settings are unique, we bring these elements together in order to have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of waterside physical security problems.  This synthesis also provides a framework in which to develop and implement solutions.  The products and services we have delivered to the Navy and Coast Guard include analytic studies, physical and engineering modeling, operational and tactical simulations, technological and phenomenological research and development, system implementation and integration, and full-scale test and evaluation.  We have collaborated with numerous government, academic, and industry partners to help our sponsors better understand waterside threats and vulnerabilities to Navy and maritime assets and infrastructure, and identify and/or develop countermeasure concepts to mitigate

For more information, contact E. W. Johnson
USW Employment Opportunities