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Naval Industry News - UK |
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| Thales
and ASV to develop Unmanned Minewarfare Vehicle |
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London,
3 July 2012 - Thales UK has signed a contract with Autonomous Surface
Vehicles Ltd (ASV Ltd) to develop a re-configurable Unmanned Surface
Vehicle (USV) to meet the challenges of future off-board Mine Countermeasures
(MCM) operations.
The vessel has been jointly designed to meet a number of key requirements
and drivers:
· Deployable from military platforms, craft
of opportunity and from shore/harbour
· Air transportable
· Payload flexibility for all MCM systems –
unmanned underwater vehicles, towed sonar,
disposal systems, minesweeping
· Stable platform with excellent slow speed
and towing capabilities
· Highly reliable & cost effective
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The low signature USV, which is 11.5m in length and 3.6m in beam, will
have a maximum
speed of around 25 knots. The vehicle is now under construction and
will be undergoing
acceptance trials later this year. A series of payload trials will be
conducted from early 2013
onwards, drawing on experience gained in previous off-board system programmes.
(Picture:
©ASV)
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ASV Ltd is a UK company and part of Global Fusion,
a privately owned international marine services group. Formed in 1998,
ASV Ltd provides rugged, reliable and effective unmanned systems using
cutting edge marine technology from its operating base near Portsmouth.
Dan Hook, Managing Director at ASV, in welcoming this contract says:
“We are pleased to be developing such an advanced capability with
Thales UK and are confident in the system’s performance for the
wide range of roles.”
Phil Naybour, head of Thales UK’s naval business, says: “As
the MCM capability integrator of over half the world’s in-service
fleet of minehunters, Thales brings many years of experience and understanding
of mine warfare operations alongside world-class sensors and systems.
“As we head into an era that heralds a step change in the delivery
of mine warfare, moving from dedicated MCMVs to off-board systems and
sensors, Thales’s extensive capabilities in mission system integration
are being brought to bear."
“The Unmanned Surface Vehicle will be central to the success of
these new concepts of operation in mine warfare; being able to demonstrate
and de-risk both the vehicle and its potential payloads is a clear benefit
to both our customers and ourselves. We welcome the news of this contract
signature with ASV as it represents a critical step towards the delivery
of future off-board MCM capability.”
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