The invention relates to a system for automatically launching and retrieving, with no human intervention, marine or submarine vehicles (15) from a carrier ship (10) which remains in movement in order to limit the amplitude of the pitch and roll movements to which the vehicle is subjected. The system comprises a tiltable hinged ramp (11) which comprises a bottom (113) and edges (114, 115), and a towing means (14, 16) making it possible to control the sliding of the vehicle (15) along the ramp (11) during the launch and to hoist the vehicle (15) along the ramp (11) during the retrieval thereof. The ramp has a free end (112), the vertical position of which varies between a submerged position, in which said end is immersed in the water, and an above-water position, in which the ramp is in horizontal position. The system also comprises a buoyancy means which enables the free end to float on or near the surface of the water when the ramp is lowered. The bottom of the hinged ramp also has an outer surface configured such as to form a dry dock having a V-shaped or W-shaped cross-section, and a receiving and guiding means (13) comprising a receiving device configured such as to receive the end of the vehicle and to remain in contact with the vehicle during the launch and retrieval operations, the receiving device being driven with the vehicle by the towing means. The receiving device comprises vertical protection elements (131) intended for providing a frontal bearing for wings of the vehicle when the end thereof is inserted in the receiving device, the frontal bearing thus provided making it possible to contribute to keeping the vehicle aligned with the ramp.
System for launching and retrieving submarine vehicles, in particular towed submarine vehicles
05.01.2017
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
IPC: | B63B Schiffe oder sonstige Wasserfahrzeuge , SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS |
Engineering Index Backfile | 1932
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