MacArtney Autonomously Operating Winches for Naval Application on USVs

US based aerospace and defense development and manufacture company Textron Systems Unmanned Systems, a Textron, Inc. business, has taken delivery of winch systems from MacArtney.

The scope in question comprises design, manufacture, assembly, test and delivery of autonomous launch and recovery systems custom-engineered to adapt to specific customer requirements. The winches are designed to comply with the MIL standard 901D for shock and vibration. Emphasis has been put on tailoring the design and features to the conditions that they will be experiencing throughout their service lives.

Special engineering and design

The winches are designed and engineered for optimal durability. They feature a modular and compact design allowing for flexible system installation on USVs. The ultimate purpose of the vehicles is the autonomous use of sweeping, localisation and neutralisation of mines and other explosive devices with-out human interaction.

Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSVTM) Textron Systems

The materials in the state-of-the-art winches include aluminium and special alloys which make them light-weight and corrosion resistant, which in terms of pull force/winch weight ratio will allow for added fuel capacity of the USVs.

"Delivering outstanding system performance by combining technology and experience, MacArtney considers the outcome of this customizable solution excellent as it is applicable for many purposes. The autonomous aspect and self-diagnostics of the solution are very important factors and a specific material request made by our customer”, says MacArtney Inc. President Lars F. Hansen.

In addition to the mine countermeasure application, the USVs may target a wide range of commercial applications, too.