U.S. Navy Fact Sheet

AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis - (COBRA)

Description
The mission of the AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) is to conduct unmanned aerial tactical reconnaissance in the littoral battlespace for detection and localization of minefields & obstacles in the surf zone and beach zone prior to an amphibious assault. The COBRA Airborne Payload will be carried on the MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV). This allows operators and other personnel to remain at a safe distance from the mine and obstacle belts and enemy direct and indirect fire. COBRA will be embarked from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) as part of the Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Mission Package (MP).

Background
COBRA began as a Marine Corps program in the 1990’s as an Advanced Technology Demonstration and transitioned to an acquisition program. In 2004, the COBRA program was transferred to the Navy as the detection capability for the Assault Breaching Systems (ABS). Milestone B for the initial increment of COBRA was awarded in 2005.

The COBRA program uses incremental development to meet the overall assault mine and obstacle reconnaissance requirements. Three initial increments (blocks) of development are planned with each introducing new or enhanced capabilities. Block I is a passive system with capabilities of daytime surface-laid mine line and obstacle detection in the beach zone, limited detection capability in surf zone, and off-board processing. Block II will add night-time minefield and obstacle detection capability and full detection capability in surf zone. Block III will add buried mine line detection capability and near realtime onboard processing. COBRA Block II and III are in Concept Refinement and Technology Development.

The COBRA Block I system is comprised of two an Airborne Payloads, the Post Mission Analysis (PMA) Station, and the Tactical Control System (TCS) segment for the VTUAV Ground Control Station (GCS). The VTUAV GCS, utilizing the TCS software, is used to plan the flight tracks required for the COBRA mission, monitor the mission, and reprogram the flight path, if necessary.

The COBRA Block I Airborne Payload key components include a highly stabilized step stare digital gimbal, high resolution multispectral imaging digital camera with spinning six-color filter wheel, a processing unit, and a solid state Data Storage Unit (DSU). The gimbal is approximately 19 inches in length with a diameter of 11 inches. The Airborne Payload as a whole weighs less than 150 lbs. During flight operation, the COBRA gimbal step-stares across the ground track of the MQ-8B to collect data in a three spot pattern to attain a high area search rate. The gimbal holds each spot for a preset time allowing for the COBRA Airborne Payload to collect six images of the spot. Each of the six images is taken with a different color-band of the spectral filter to separate mines and obstacles from the background in various environments.

At the conclusion of the mission, the DSU is removed from the Airborne Payload and is loaded into the PMA Station onboard the LCS. The COBRA Block I PMA Station is composed of nineteen rack-mounted single board computers. It is used for automatic minefield detection processing and operator analysis of imagery. The COBRA PMA results containing minefield & obstacle locations and imagery is then disseminated to the Mine Warfare and Environmental Decision Aids Library (MEDAL) in support of ABS neutralization mission planning. Milestone C was achieved 30 March 2009, granting approval to procure Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) units.