SAM 3 Minesweeping USV

• Overview
• Facts

Self-propelled Acoustic Magnetic sweep

The SAM system is a unique unmanned surface vehicle for primarily autonomous and remote-controlled minesweeping. In alternative payload configurations it can be also used for other types of MCM missions such as sonar minehunting.

The original SAM system was developed in the early eighties and has been exported to four customer navies around the world. As an example two SAMs were deployed by US Navy during Operation Desert Storm off the Kuwaiti coast in 1991.

The concept provides safe and rapidly deployable mine counter-measures capability for assured access to ports and sea lines of communication in the littoral and riverine environment.

With its capability to simulate different types and sizes of ships, without risking either lives or valuable ships, the SAM takes mine-sweeping to a new level of efficiency.

SAM 3 - the next generation

SAM 3 is the most modern and recent development in the field of remote-controlled influence minesweeping. The aim of influence minesweeping is to actuate sea mines by emitting primarily magnetic and acoustic signatures into the water. Therefore SAM 3 is robust, resistant to underwater explosions and equipped with magnetic, acoustic and electric devices that can generate ship-like signatures. Remote-control reduces the risk by keeping man out of the mine field.

Compared to any other minesweeping system on the market SAM 3 provides for distinguishing state-of-the-art features like:

• Efficient operations in confined waters like archipelagos and ports, provided by shallow draught and good manoeuvrability (being a self-propelled sweep).
• Programmable sweep output for higher resemblance of targeted ship’s signature and speed (signature level, variation and duration). Programming and coordination of all signature output (magnetic, acoustic and electric) possible in both Target Setting Mode (TSM) and Mine Setting Mode (MSM).
• Transportable in 40 ft container which, due to the vehicle’s modular and dismountable design, makes it highly suitable for expeditionary use and rapid reaction to any arising mine threat anywhere in the world. 

SAM 3 is designed for the riverine and littoral environments, to ensure full control and vital access to ports and sea lines of communication. It has the capabilities to conduct minesweeping (and other MCM operations) in the regimes of 3 m (10 ft) to 60 m (200 ft) water depth.

Command and Control (C2) functionality for mission planning, execution and post-mission analysis is available either as stand-alone system or as integral part of an existing Combat Management System (CMS) prepared for MCM operations. An MCMV – or any other type of vessel – can operate up to four SAMs simultaneously, but the SAM can equally well be controlled from land. This allows for stand-alone operations without any supporting MCM units, and with a minimum of human personnel involved.

SAM 3 can be remote-controlled from both ship and shore. Due to different national safety regulations SAM 3 also has a local operator’s console for navigation on board.

Multi-SAM missions with up to four vehicles in formation for physically realistic signature resemblance corresponding to target ship type (so called Target Setting Mode – TSM).

The SAM 3 System

The simplicity of the SAM 3 with its easy to handle and use characteristics, combined with high performance in mine countermeasure operations, make it an important asset for mine clearance in an extreme littoral environment such as coastal areas, archipelagos and harbour areas. 

Page updated Tuesday, May 18, 2010.