Northrop Grumman has tested an expendable capsule that could be used to launch unmanned air vehicles (UAV) from submerged submarines. The first of three planned tests of the stealthy affordable capsule system (SACS) was conducted in a test pool in Tracy, California, and included the ejection of a UAV simulator.
Designed to be launched from a torpedo or missile tube, the SACS is being demonstrated by the Lockheed Martin-led Team 2020 under the US Navy's Submarine Payloads and Sensors programme. The Raytheon-led Forward PASS team is demonstrating a competing concept, the broaching universal buoyant launcher, which can be attached to the outside of a submarine.
Both teams are trying to develop a standard capsule that could be used to launch a variety of payloads, including missiles as well as UAVs. After release, the torpedo-shaped capsule would surface and float upright, its tip above the water, enabling the payload to be ejected directly into the air.
Northrop Grumman says the first SACS test demonstrated capsule hydro-stability and payload ejection. Two additional waterborne tests are planned for February and August. These could be followed by at-sea and submarine-launched demonstrations with candidate payloads, the company says.
Source: Flight International
