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These
Inspector Mk2 will be fitted with the most recent subsea robotic system
developed by ECA Group in 2015:
TOWSCA which will significantly increase the survey capability of INSPECTOR
Mk2 for this customer. TOWSCA, is a high resolution Towed Side Scan
Sonar remotely deployed from the aft deck of the USV. With its automatic
seabed follower, it can operate in medium water from 10 to 100m depth
and shallow to very shallow waters. It completes the Interferometric
Sonar fitted on the bow mast of the USV Inspector MK2. All Seabed data
gathered by TOWSCA are real time transmitted to the control station
through the USV high data rate radio link.
Each of these USVs is also equipped with two SEASCANs. The SEASCAN is
the new generation of identification vehicle in the ECA Group ROV (Remotely
Operated Vehicle) range. SEASCAN is deployed with a compact launch and
recovery system (LARS) and is able to operate up to 3h in a range of
1000m around the USV and in water depth down to 300m. The USV’s
radio link is used to operate the SEASCAN and to recover in real time
sonar and video data.This Mine Counter Measure system can be operated
autonomously or remotely from a distant control station. The first system
will be delivered by the end of 2016 followed by two others in 2017
and 2018.
These two new developments complete the USV INSPECTOR Mk2 capability
as well as the entire ECA Group range of solutions dedicated to Mine
Counter Measures missions. Inspector Mk2 USVs together with ECA Group
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (A9, A18...) and IT180 Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle constitute the basis of Robotics Unmanned Mine Countermeasures
systems. Various payloads and equipment can be fitted on each of these
drones. This makes ECA Group capable to provide customers all over the
world the set of robots fitting the best with the operational requirement
and the ECA Group fully integrated mission management system (UMIS).
ECA Group is the only Mine Countermeasures Systems manufacturer with
a range of robots and drones including AUVs, USVs and UAV. |
