Naval Marine Technology News

Many commercial marine products evolve from military roots. At Euronaval last month in Paris, contractors large and small from around the globe showcased new and emerging technologies. According to General Electric, there is a new era dawning for naval engineering and propulsion. “I’ve seen the future of naval propulsion, and it’s electrifying,” said GE Power Conversion’s Captain Mark Dannatt Royal Navy (retd.), speaking at Euronaval. Capt. Dannatt’s comments came as he outlined the latest advances in advanced naval electrical technology from a GE perspective.

Rolls-Royce, is to develop a new, highly efficient water jet to propel unmanned surface craft for the US Navy. The new water jet will be the smallest Rolls-Royce design to date, with a diameter of just 100 millimetres, and will quietly propel the craft through the water on remotely controlled missions that include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Rolls-Royce will develop the water jet part of the innovative small propulsion system, part of a US Government funded Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project led by Candent Technologies Inc.

An award of $3 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) funds the project. The development of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) is a rapidly expanding part of naval marine technology, and Rolls-Royce has extensive capability in the handling systems that enable these advanced craft to be launched, refuelled and recovered from the sea. Rolls-Royce will develop automated systems to support the missions carried out by unmanned naval vehicles, including mine-countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, coastal security patrols and environmental data collection. Rolls-Royce will design refuelling systems so unmanned craft can remain at sea for longer periods…