The HUGIN 1000 is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed by Kongsberg Maritime in co-operation with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI).
The AUV can be operated from mine hunters in both deep and shallow waters. It can be deployed in mine countermeasures, rapid environmental assessment, route surveying, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and intelligence, as well as in surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. It can also be used in research, offshore and hydrographical applications.
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The HUGIN class of underwater vehicles includes the HUGIN 1000, with a depth rating of 3,000m, the HUGIN 3000 and the HUGIN 4500. The vehicles were developed as part of the HUGIN AUV programme, which began in 1990. The class has been deployed in military applications since 2001.
Design and features of HUGIN 1000 AUV
Bluefin-21, a modular autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed by Bluefin Robotics, is designed to operate from a range of ships for conducting defence, commercial and scientific missions worldwide.
The HUGIN 1000 AUV features a compact design and a hydrodynamic shape. It is made from carbon fibre laminate material and syntactic foam.
The vehicle has a length of 4.5m and a diameter of 0.75m. Its weight varies between 650kg and 850kg, depending upon the configuration. It can be launched and recovered by a proven, hydraulically-operated stinger-based launch and recovery system installed at the stern.
Modes that the AUV can be operated are fully-autonomous, semi-autonomous and supervised.
The AUV offers operator supervision, increased position accuracy and mission reprogramming capabilities when operated in supervised mode.
A rechargeable, pressure-tolerant 15kWh lithium polymer battery is installed to provide extended endurance for the AUV.
Payloads
The HUGIN 1000 autonomous underwater vehicle can be equipped with multiple advanced acoustic payloads to deliver high performance in a variety of military applications. The payload sensors include multi-beam echo-sounders (MBE), sub-bottom profilers (SBP), sidescan sonars (SSS), conductivity temperature density (CTD), turbidity sensor, acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP), and fishery research sonars. The MBE sensor is used for gathering topographic information of the seabed.
HISAS 1030 interferometric synthetic aperture sonar can also be integrated in to the vehicle.
The HISAS 1030 sonar has a frequency ranging between 50kHz and 120kHz. It can be optionally fitted with an optical camera to capture high-resolution imagery of underwater objects.
Navigation and communication equipment
The HUGIN 1000 AUV’s integrated navigation suite provides improved position accuracy and flexibility. It includes NavP (navigation processor) advanced real-time aided inertial navigation system (AINS), doppler velocity log (DVL), ultra short base line (USBL), inertial measurement unit (IMU), depth sensor and a global positioning system (GPS).
A Terrainav terrain referenced navigation system can be installed to provide submerged position updates. The AUV also uses an underwater transponder positioning (UTP) ranging system to transmit submerged position updates by range measurements to one or more underwater transponders.
An internal Ethernet network connected to the surface control system is used to provide data transfer when the vehicle is positioned on the deck. The acoustic / radio frequency (RF) / wireless local area networlk (WLAN) / iridium satellite communications are used to transfer payload sensor data when the AUV is in operation.
HUGIN 1000 AUV propulsion and performance
The HUGIN 1000 AUV is powered by a propulsion motor installed at the rear section. It is fitted with rudder control systems and a three-bladed propeller. It can travel at speeds between 2kt and 6kt and can reach a depth of 1,000m.
The AUV can endure for up to one day at a speed of 4kt and can be operated in sea conditions up to sea state 5.
Orders and deliveries of the autonomous underwater vehicle
The HUGIN underwater vehicle was first tested from the Royal Norwegian Navy’s HNoMS Karmoey mine hunter in 2001. The Royal Norwegian Navy received the first HUGIN 1000 AUV as part of the Norwegian HUGIN Mine Reconnaissance System Programme (HUGIN MRS) in February 2004.
The AUV was successfully demonstrated in a number of NATO exercises, including Joint Winter, Blue Game, and Immediate Reaction Force MCMFORNORTH in 2004. The Royal Norwegian Navy placed an order for the second HUGIN 1000 in June 2005 and took the delivery in January 2007.
In May 2007, Kongsberg Maritime and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace signed a contract with the Finnish Navy to deliver a HUGIN 1000 MR mine counter measure vehicle for the Katanpää class mine countermeasure vessels, as part of the Mine Hunting Vessel programme.
Kongsberg and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) demonstrated autonomous operations of the HUGIN 1000 AUV in South Korea in February 2010.
In February 2014, Kongsberg Maritime was selected by Remontowa Shipbuilding to supply a HUGIN 1000 MR AUV along with HiPAP underwater communications and positioning equipment for use by the Polish Navy. The AUV is also operational with the Italian Navy.
