Robots to help to monitor entire world oceans

"The Navy's mission is to know what's transpiring on the seas worldwide, around the clock and in real time. Unmanned systems will be a major factor in the equation because of their inherent benefits.

"We must determine how those diverse assets that will make up the Navy force structure in about eight years can be integrated into a net-enabled, family-of-systems environment," Garone continued.

The study contract, named Persistent Unmanned Maritime Airborne Surveillance (PUMAS), is worth approximately $1 million for an initial five-month effort, after which the Navy will down select its contractors to continue the study for another seven months. Total value of the two efforts could approach $4 million.

Northrop Grumman has won one of several contracts from the U.S. Navy to study and recommend solutions to the service's requirement for an around-the-clock, worldwide maritime surveillance capability.

"This is a much broader, much deeper study than the name PUMAS implies," said Joseph Garone, director and integrated product team leader for advanced concepts development in the company's Integrated Systems sector.



Northrop Grumman Wins U.S. Navy Contract to Study Maritime Surveillance Concepts