The US Navy is enhancing its undersea warfare capabilities with the development of a new system that enables submarines to deploy and recover autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) without the need to surface.
Through an Other Transaction Authority contract, the US Defense Innovation Unit has selected L3Harris Technologies to provide the Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery (TTLR) system.
The TTLR system allows submarines to safely launch and retrieve the company’s Iver4 900 AUVs, supporting missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), mine countermeasures, and seabed warfare operations.
TTLR System
Designed as a modular solution, the TTLR can be integrated into existing submarine platforms across multiple classes, including those operated by allied nations.
It incorporates lithium-ion battery technology to support extended mission durations—marking the first approval of such batteries for US Navy submarine and aviation applications—and features a hot-swappable design to enable continuous operations.
The system also supports the Navy’s broader manned-unmanned teaming strategy.
Additionally, TTLR contributes to the objectives of the AUKUS security partnership’s second pillar, which focuses on accelerating the development and deployment of advanced military technologies among Australia, the UK, and the US.
Iver4 900 AUV
The Iver4 900 is a compact and lightweight AUV measuring approximately 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in length, featuring a 9-inch (23-centimeter) carbon fiber hull and weighing under 230 pounds (104 kilograms).
It is capable of operating at depths of up to 300 meters (984 feet) and offers a range exceeding 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers/46 miles) using NiMH batteries, or more than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers/92 miles) with lithium-ion batteries, depending on payload and environmental conditions.
A similar system, the Iver4 580, is also in service with the UK for unmanned minehunting and survey missions.
