The MOTT device is being developed to mark maritime objects of interest from a helicopter operating 500 feet above the water and then allow a surface vessel to easily locate the object. The purpose of the tests conducted in New London was to determine whether the devices would survive a 200 foot drop into the water and then transmit both strobe light and GPS signals.
The May test involved dropping 15 devices into the water. About half the devices survived impact and, of those, only a couple functioned as intended. For the October test, ten devices were dropped. According to John McLeod, “One unit broke on impact and one did not broadcast a signal. This was a dramatic improvement from the first test where more than 50 percent failed.”
McLeod also said, “The next step is to go to the West Coast and develop additional operational scenarios.”