DARPA and its customer, the US Navy, have been developing Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems (TALONS) for years. In September 2015 DARPA demonstrated a prototype of the low-cost TALONS, a fully automated parafoil system designed to extend maritime vessels’ long-distance communications and improve domain awareness.
Towed behind boats or ships (eg. the Littoral Combat ship (above)), TALONS can carry ISR and communications payloads of up to 70kg between 150m and 450m in altitude. This is many times higher than current ships’ masts (only up to 61m above the waterline) and greatly extends the sensor’s range and effectiveness.
By October 2016 information became more specific. DARPA tested TALONS aboard the Sea HunterASW Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV). Compared to destroyer or frigate’s mast-mounted sensors the TALONS parasailing sensor array increased surface track radar range by six times. TALONS also doubles a vessel's electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) discrimination range, and more than triples omnidirectional radio range.
The ACTUV has a more effective anti-submarine capability when towing a kilometer long undersea sonar array. While towing this and using its hull sonars an ACTUV can interact with UUVs, seabed SOSUS sensors, surface ships, satellites, patrol aircraft, large UAVs, earth stations and command HQs. When an ACTUV tows a sonar array this frees up surface ships and submarines from towing duties. Ships and submarines can only tow undersea arrays at great expense and be vulnerable to enemy action due to slow and predictable towing patterns.
An ACTUV can also follow a conventional submarine (SSK) for more than a week, until the sub's batteries and AIP have run out forcing the sub to the surface.
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