Leveraging a large UUV platform with a docking station to enable forward basing and persistence for light weight AUVs

Light weight Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) typically face a tradeoff between mission capability and endurance when planning ocean sensing and surveillance missions. Using currently available energy sources, light weight AUVs are relatively efficient at performing missions once they arrive at their destination, but the energy challenges associated with reaching and returning from remote destinations and transferring data post-mission often prevent extended use or severely limit mission duration. This paper describes the potential use of a larger underwater vehicle as a "mothership" to offset these propulsion challenges and significantly improve light weight AUV mission duration and operational utility.