Operational history and development plans for the use of AUVs and UAVs to map sea ice topography

In order to improve the capabilities of AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) when operating in the Arctic, and under sea ice in particular, there are a number of recommendations that are essential for a successful operation. These recommendations not only deal with features of the AUV itself, but also with positioning under the ice, artificial intelligence for under-ice behaviour, the optimal sensor package for mapping the underside of sea ice, launch and recovery techniques and the operational scenario as a whole. We review these recommendations, and draw attention to a new technology which is central to improved AUV operation, the Stand-Alone USBL (Ultra-Short BaseLine, a method of underwater acoustic positioning) Positioning Buoy, which will enable insertion, tracking and retrieval of AUVs to be more rapid and secure, and enable in-mission low bandwidth communication. Both large and small AUVs have been used successfully to map the 3D structure of the ice underside, but always in an experimental context. The challenge now is to determine the best way forward to improve the quantity and quality of data gathering, and to turn the under-ice AUV into a reliable vehicle for routine use.