Patent ID: 7296530

Claim:
An unmanned system for performing one or more of inspection, identification and neutralization of underwater objects, comprising: at least one remotely-operated robotic vehicle for operation underneath a water's surface, each said robotic vehicle having a slave controller, electrical propulsion means, underwater sensing means and explosive charge deploying means; an unmanned vehicle for operation at a water's surface, said unmanned vehicle having a mother controller, self-propulsion means, navigation means, wireless communication means, electrical energy generation means and means for stowing each said robotic vehicle; at least one winch mounted on said unmanned vehicle, each said winch being associated with one said robotic vehicle; and an electro-mechanical tether for electrically and mechanically coupling a corresponding one said robotic vehicle to said unmanned vehicle, each said tether mechanically coupled to a corresponding one said winch for control of the paying out and reeling in thereof, each said tether electrically coupling said mother controller to said slave controller and electrically coupling said electrical energy generation means to said electrical propulsion means.