Category Archives: TALONS

A Successful Test of TALONS and an Air Droppable Rescue Boat

Posted on by
10

The Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems (TALONS) is a parafoil-based system shown kiting from the Greenough Advanced Rescue Craft. TALONS relays data between the MCM USV and the LCS via the government-developed multi-vehicle communication relays system. (Credit: US Navy/Released)

There are two items of interest here.

Naval News brings us more news about TALONS and incidentally, info on an air droppable rescue boat. We have been following DARPA’s development of TALONS (Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems) for about four years.

Putting sensors at 1000 feet gives a horizon distance of 38.7 miles compared with 8.7 miles for a more typical height of 50 feet. This latest test show how truly small the footprint of this system can be. The boat is only 15’8” (4.8M) in length.

I had never heard of the Greenough Advanced Rescue Craft (GARC). Apparently it is a standard Air Force system. The Coast Guard used to have a capability to drop a lifeboat from a fixed wing aircraft. The Air Force apparently still does and it looks like it could be remote controlled to go to the rescue of those in distress. Check out the description in at the link below.

“The Unmanned GARC is 15’8” (4.8M) in length and a full load displacement of 3,600lbs. It has a top speed in excess of 35 knots, a range of 400+ nautical miles at 30 knots (700+ nm range at 6 knots). It can operate up to sea state 4.”

A U.S. Coast Guard Boeing PB-1G Fortress carrying a lifeboat in 1948. The USCG used the PB-1G from 1945 to 1959. US Coast Guard photo 5261

When we used to do this (even before my time), I am pretty sure the survivors had to make their way to the boat, which could be problematic. Looks like this one could be driven to the survivors and probably has a radio link.

ACTUV and TALONS–Cheaper High Tech

Posted on by
7

NavyRecognition reports that DARPA has tested a combination of two of their projects that we have previously discussed, the Active Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) and the Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems (TALONS). This is a bit of departure for the ACTUV since it is designed to track submarines, but it might be applicable to counter drug operations in the Eastern Pacific.

“TALONS’ surface-track radar extended its range by 500 percent—six times—compared to its range at sea level. Its electro-optical/infrared scanner doubled its observed discrimination range. The TALONS team plugged in a commercial handheld omnidirectional radio; that radio’s range more than tripled.”

SOUTHCOM has been advocating using his area of operations as a testing ground. Perhaps DARPA would like to try this in the drug Transit Zone.

This is potentially high tech like our computers and cell phones, works better, cost less.

“TALONS is part of DARPA’s Phase 1 research for Tern, a joint program between DARPA and the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR). Now that at-sea demonstration is complete, DARPA is transitioning TALONS to the Navy.”

Wonder if it might fit on the Webber class WPCs? They are larger than the ACTUV.

Here is the DARPA news release.