Patent ID: 7472866

Claim:
A system for deploying an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from a platform submerged in a medium, the system comprising: a capsule enclosing the UAV in a watertight manner when submerged; a floatation device attached to said capsule, said floatation device providing buoyancy to said capsule to bring said capsule to a surface of the medium after launch of said capsule from the submerged platform; a hatch forming an opening in said capsule to allow the UAV to exit said capsule, said hatch opening after said capsule reaches the surface of the medium; a lifting means within said capsule for moving the UAV from within said capsule, through said hatch and to a position exterior to said capsule; and a cradle for releasably supporting the UAV, said cradle and the UAV rotating between an interior orientation and a launch orientation when the UAV reaches the position exterior to said capsule.