The Anti-Swimmer Torpedo

An unmanned undersea vehicle targets combat divers

By John Brandon Posted 05.07.2009 at 11:49 am 1 Comment

Thinking of going for a swim? Keep an eye out for the Reusable Unambiguous Swimmer Warning Vehicle, a torpedo that can hunt down any swimmer who poses a threat to U.S. waters. It circles around its victim, relays the exact GPS coordinates of the prey, and sounds an alarm.

According to DefenseTech.org, the torpedo is an experimental device is five feet long, moves at a stealth-like 8 knots, and could be equipped with defensive -- or offensive -- weapons to stop a terrorist attack.

Once targeted, the torpedo descends into the water and then finds the swimmer, rising to the surface to set off the warning signals. The device uses an on-board digital compass to find its target underwater.

According to Jim Pollock, the project manager at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, a research and development lab, the torpedo is just a proof of concept and there are no plans to use them for fighting terrorists.

The prototype UUV, which has an eel painted on its side, is on display at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space symposium in Maryland, in a large tank.

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