NAVOCEANO Technical Director Views Mine Warfare Survey Operations

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss, (NNS) -- Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) Technical Director Tom Cuff visited Norfolk, Va., May 16, to get a first-hand glimpse of a mine warfare maritime homeland defense survey.

Cuff accompanied a survey team as they surveyed a small area in the Little Creek channel aboard a SWATH boat using a Klein 5000 side-scan sonar towfish.

Following the brief survey operation, survey team members explained to Cuff the processing aspect of the survey, from quality control to final products. Aside from the data processing team's smaller footprint and lower number of data sources, its processing setup is nearly identical to a data fusion cell which would be found on-scene in a real-world mine warfare operation.

The NAVOCEANO survey team was assisted by Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center (NOMWC) personnel who were collecting survey data in additional nearby areas of interest using the MK 18 Mod 1, a REMUS 100 based system. While in Norfolk, Cuff was able to observe the employment and recovery of the unmanned underwater vehicle deployed from a NOMWC vessel.

Cuff said he was impressed with the survey team's abilities and progress.

"It's great to see, first-hand, just how well the NAVOCEANO-NOMWC experts team together to provide the Navy with the best possible environmental and mine warfare information to support safe operations and decision-making," said Cuff.

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