ECA Group is joining forces with iXblue and becomes Exail Learn moreECA Group is joining forces with iXblue and becomes Exail Learn more
Published in Unmanned vehicles magazine volume 22, September 2017.
Written by Beth Maundrill
The maritime environment ls home to a wide range of unmanned technologies. From airborne assets to underwater vehicles. These can be used for various operations, from surveillance and reconnaissance to exclusive economic zone (EEZ) protection, antisubmarine warfare (ASW) and mine detection.
The maritime mine countermeasures (MCM) sector is leading the way in the use of unmanned systems, with various nations currently working on or having already put forward plans for new MCM platforms and programs that integrate a high number of such vehicles.
Over the past 12 months, there have been two major events involving unmanned systems in the maritime arena: Exercise Unmanned Warrior, held in Scotland; and more recently the joint Belgian and Dutch navies' North Sea Unmanned (NSU) MCM Trials.
The former was an opportunity for various companies and industry partners to showcase their capabilities to the UK RN and other observers. However, no procurement program was associated with the event, which saw various UAVs displayed alongside UMVs.
Programme trials
On the other hand, the NSU MCM Trials were carried out to move forward with a new procurement program for the two participating nations' navies, which are planning to change the way in which MCM operations are carried out, with an increased focus on the use of an unmanned toolkit. Speaking to UV, Baudouin Coppieters de Glbson, 'project leader for the MCM replacement program, said: 'Unmanned systems offer the Belgian and Netherlands navies the opportunity to deploy a stand-off MCM capability whereby the manned MCM platform stays outside the mine threat area and the unmanned MCM toolbox is entering the minefield. The main aim [of the trials] was the technological consolidation of unmanned systems focused on the autonomous behavior of AUVs, USVs and ROVs under the specific and complex environ mental conditions of the North Sea,' he explained.
The tests also evaluated the cooperative behaviour of different MCM systems, supported by the use of software tools and automatic target recognition algorithms.
Companies that took part included Atlas Elektronik, ECA Group and Northrop Grumman. The contract will be lucrative to the selected provider, as €932 million ($1.1 billion) of funding for the program has been approved, according to Belgium's strategic defence plan, published in June 2016 and confirmed in April 2017. This will caver a new mother ship as well as an unmanned toolbox.
During the demonstration, ECA Group deployed an Unmanned MCM Integrated System composed of an A9-M AUV and an lnspector Unmanned Surface vehicles with two Seascan MK2 lightweight ROVs. The A9 is a 70kg man-portable AUV that has already been selected by various NATO countries for MCM operations. ECA has also received an $11 million contract from an unnamed customer for the lnspector Mk2 to be used in an MCM role.
Learn more about ECA Group's UMIS System
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