Naval defence Link : UMIS, an autonomous mine warfare system
The ECA group has developed an autonomous mine warfare system using a surface craft equipped with detection systems and capable of launching underwater vehicles
Published on Naval Defence Link, April 2017
Mine warfare is a field of crucial struggle for the naval forces. Alongside traditional mines designed for military use, there are improvised systems that multiply the threat.
Breaking with old methods
Mine warfare systems and methods have, however, remained broadly identical for almost 50 years. Naval forces still largely used vessels designed for mine warfare with wooden or composite hulls capable of using hull sonars or remotely operated vehicles for the detection, identification and classification of mines. The scope and definition of sonars are inversely proportional. The more a sonar gains in scope it loses in definition. It is therefore necessary to be near a mine in order to detect it or identify it precisely. Destruction is carried out by consumable vehicles or, most often by divers.
This operating principle exposes both the mine hunter who must enter the mined area to carry out his task of detection and the divers who come into contact with mines or explosive devices to neutralize them. Not to mention that any underwater operation involves risks for divers.
Integrated self-contained solution
Based on the development of autonomous vehicles, the ECA Group has developed an integrated solution using several drones capable of penetrating the danger zone, detecting and classifying the mines and then neutralizing them.
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