General Dynamics Innovative Naval Technologies Demonstrated at ANTX 2019

As part of the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center’s Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) 2019, a General Dynamics Mission Systems-led team demonstrated cross-domain, multi-level command, control and communication (C3) capabilities using manned and unmanned assets.

These assets included a General Dynamics’ Bluefin™-9 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), a SeaTrac unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and a shore-based simulated submarine combat system, a simulated surface combatant combat system, and a simulated Mission Operations Center. The demonstration also provided real-time 3D visualization and communications using General Dynamics’ secure 4G long-term evolution (LTE) wireless broadband network. The demonstration offered technology solutions to address the challenges of communicating among multiple platforms in contested environments, from high-level operation planning to tactical mission execution.

A notional future operational video depicting the capabilities demonstrated by General Dynamics at ANTX 2019

"For the fourth year in a row, General Dynamics invested in innovative naval technology for ANTX that connects deployed naval systems to the latest technology advances in industry," said Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of Maritime and Strategic Systems business for General Dynamics Mission Systems. “By demonstrating cross-domain, multi-level C3 capabilities using manned and unmanned assets, General Dynamics is helping the U.S. Navy advance their unmanned vision.”

General Dynamics built upon capabilities developed over three previous years of ANTX as well as a combination of six General Dynamics’ independent research and development projects and products to demonstrate a complete command and control battle management mission architecture for manned and unmanned systems. They leveraged theatre-level planning tools to enable cross-domain C3 for manned submarines, UUV systems and USV systems. The architecture connected assets from the sea floor to the surface through the support of artificial intelligence enhanced anti-submarine warfare and seabed warfare planning, as well as in-situ assessment and execution of maritime operations. Additionally, the architecture provided the sailor with a 3-D virtual reality viewing of all activity.