System For Deploying Weapons Carried In An Annular Configuration In A UUV.

An unmanned undersea vehicle system includes a remote-controlled, unmanned undersea vehicle and a mother vehicle interconnected by a communication link. The unmanned undersea vehicle includes a weapon compartment, an erectable observation mast and a control means. Within the weapon compartment are a plurality of weapon deployment devices situated about a central core, each weapon deployment device having a weapon canister for carrying a weapon. The weapon deployment devices are pivotable between a retracted position and an extended position. Each weapon canister includes end caps at opposing ends which are discharged when the weapon contained therein is fired to allow seawater to enter. The observation mast obtains environmental information. The control means controls the deployment of the weapon by expelling the weapon from the weapon compartment and thereafter controls the firing of the weapon. The mother vehicle generates command information for controlling the control means and receives unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle and processes it for use in generating the command information. The communication link interconnects the unmanned undersea vehicle and the mother vehicle to facilitate transfer of command information from the mother vehicle to the unmanned undersea vehicle and to further facilitate transfer of unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle to the mother vehicle.