ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers needed enabling technologies for next-generation propulsion for crewed submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that will be quieter and more efficient than ever before. They found their solution from General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Groton, Conn.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., announced an $8.6 million order to General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences Friday to develop models for the Advanced Propulsor, Experimental (APEX) program.
APEX seeks to develop enabling technologies in hydro-dynamics, hydro-acoustics, mechanical engineering, naval submarine architecture, electro-mechanical, and other disciplines. Most details about the project are classified.
This order to General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences brings the value of the company's APEX contract to $18 million. The company won a $9.4 million contract last April for the APEX project.
U.S. military experts constantly are looking for new propulsion technologies for manned and unmanned submersibles to operate in dangerous areas amid ever-more-sophisticated enemy sonar systems.
Today's submarines are quieter than ever before, and are difficult to detect and track even with the most advanced sonar systems. Still, it's a cat-and-mouse game for submarine designers to keep their vessels quiet enough to evade current- and next-generation sonar technologies.
DARPA researchers are looking for submarine propulsion technologies related to efficiency, signature, mechanical design and limits, and operational considerations.
The project's phase 1A base will last for one year, and will consider theoretical propulsion designs and identify knowledge gaps. Phase 1B option will last for nine months, and will work toward defining one APEX design approach, then refine the design. The three-month phase 1C option will refine the design.
On this order General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences will do the work in Groton, Conn.; Concord, Mass.; Arlington, Va.; Pawcatuck, Conn.; and San Diego, and should be finished by August 2024. For more information contact General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences online at https://aphysci.com, or DARPA at www.darpa.mil.
