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TANGO BRAVO

Program Manager: Ms. Khine Latt

Based on the results of the DARPA/Navy Submarine Design Study and concepts explored under the Mobile Undersea Distributed System concept, the Tango Bravo technology demonstration program will explore design options for a reduced-size submarine with equivalent capability as the VIRGINIA Class submarine. The implicit goal of this program is to reduce platform infrastructure and, ultimately, the cost of future design and production of submarines. Additionally, reduced platform infrastructure provides the opportunity for greater payload volume. Although this effort is focused on projects that are driven by projected submarine requirements, it is recognized that several of these developments will have applicability to multiple Navy platforms that share similar inherent infrastructure (e.g., hydraulics, torpedo handling/launch, and sonar). This program will be a collaborative effort to overcome selected technological barriers that are judged to have a significant impact on submarine platform infrastructure cost. DARPA and the Navy, under Memorandum of Agreement in September 2004, will jointly formulate technical objectives for critical technology demonstrations in:

• Propulsion concepts not constrained by a centerline shaft.
• Externally stowed and launched weapons (especially torpedoes).
• Conformal alternatives to the existing spherical sonar array.
• Technologies that eliminate or substantially simplify existing submarine hull, mechanical and electrical systems.
• Automation to reduce crew workload for standard tasks.

Several concepts will be explored with ultimately a 1/4 scale model being built and tested.