iXblue, a global leader in the field of maritime autonomy, announces the launch of its first Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle (ROTV): FlipiX. Designed to be operated autonomously from iXblue DriX Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) or from a light vessel, FlipiX enhances autonomous survey capabilities and allows to conduct multi-sensor operations in a single run, ultimately offering unmatched operational efficiency.

In a world first, a 23-foot Saildrone Explorer equipped with a specially designed “hurricane” wing has collected the first video footage of the extreme weather conditions inside a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission is a partnership between Saildrone and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Five vehicles were deployed to better understand the ocean processes that are occurring as hurricane intensity increases, which means collecting data immediately before and during a hurricane.

EdgeTech, the leader in high resolution sonar imaging systems and underwater technology, has recently introduced an innovative and new method to provide nadir gap coverage on the EdgeTech 2205 sonar platforms. Complementing this new technology is SonarWiz from Chesapeake Technology, providing a software solution to support processing and mosaicking the new gap fill solution.

ECA GROUP has contracted CTM and PATRIA to supply two minesweeping subsystems that will be towed with its INSPECTOR 125-S Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). The fully integrated solution will provide enhanced multi-influence minesweeping capabilities within the Mine Counter Measures replacement (rMCM) programme awarded by Belgium and the Netherlands to the Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium, composed of Naval Group and ECA GROUP.

Fugro has been awarded the prestigious Craig Black Award for Innovation and Technology at Subsea Energy Australia’s 2021 Australian Subsea Business Awards.

Marine technology specialist Subsea Europe Services and Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) innovator MARTAC have signed an extensive partnership agreement for cooperation on the delivery of unmanned and autonomous marine survey platforms. The partnership unites Florida-headquartered MARTAC’s extensive USV portfolio for defence, commercial and scientific applications with Subsea Europe Services’ hydroacoustic sensors, platforms and solutions expertise, which is available through its established European rental pool, sales and support channels.

Marine Advanced Robotics and Planck Aerosystems have established a strategic alliance to provide a multi-domain robotic team that includes an unmanned surface vessel (USV) equipped with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) that operate together for advanced mission profiles.

The first ever Unmanned Marine Systems (UMS) certificate has been awarded to SEA-KIT International by Lloyd’s Register, representing an important milestone for the maritime industry.

Unique Group, one of the world’s leading integrated subsea and offshore solutions provider, has successfully supported First Marine Solutions’ (FMS) Survey and Positioning Business line, and their end client Well-Safe Solutions, in completing a cutting-edge, carbon-conscious debris survey in the Port of Cromarty Firth, Scotland, using Unique’s proprietary unmanned survey vessel (USV), Uni-Pact.

A research campaign aiming to find the wreck of the Ravenel fishing trawler, which disappeared back in January 1962 off the coast of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (France), has begun on May 23, 2021. Despite several attempts over the past decades, the wreck remains unfound. Thanks to the use of DriX Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), designed, developed and operated by iXblue, this new research campaign relies on unprecedented technological means to solve this mystery, that remains one of the most important shipwrecks in the history of French fishing.

Maritime defence technology company Sonardyne and uncrewed maritime systems (UMS) software experts SeeByte have been awarded UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) funding to enhance and extend the future operational capability of autonomous and remotely operated systems in challenging battlespace domains.

Saildrone is announcing a new mission to deploy five uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) from the US Virgin Islands in August to gather key data throughout the 2021 Tropical Atlantic hurricane season. The USVs will be equipped with specially designed “hurricane wings” to enable them to operate in extreme conditions. Saildrones are the only USVs capable of collecting this data and are designed to withstand winds over 70 mph and waves over 10 feet, which occur during a hurricane weather system. The five saildrones will sail into the paths of hurricanes to provide valuable real-time observations for numerical hurricane prediction models and to collect new insights into how these large and destructive weather cells grow and intensify.

Norwegian researchers are working on projects that are providing the groundwork for a revolution in aquaculture. As a small part of this revolution, Nortek’s DVL is helping to bring autonomous navigation to ROVs used in Norwegian fish farms.

Brazil newly created rental and services company, WAMS, adds iXblue DriX Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) to its existing pool of equipment. Offering the most modern technology for underwater service and research, this new investment marks an important turn in the company’s offering. Available for WAMS customers in Brazil, the DriX USV will increase operational performance for shallow water hydrographic and geophysical surveys as well as LBL array box-in operations, and ROV/AUV tracking for deep water projects.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) announced today the debut of the Proteus unmanned surface vessel (USV) for testing and development of autonomy capabilities. The 27-foot Proteus USV was outfitted with Sea Machines Robotics’ SM300 autonomy system and completed a successful demonstration on Friday, May 14 off the coast of Panama City, Florida.

Developed by the Turkish companies Ares Shipyard and Meteksan Defence, Turkey’s first armed unmanned surface vessel ULAQ prototype has completed sea trials.

An AutoNaut unmanned surface vessel (USV) equipped with a range of scientific sensors has been acquired by Plymouth Marine Laboratory. The state-of-the-art 5-metre craft is powered entirely by renewable energy and will be the first USV to regularly run scientific missions off the coast of the UK.

Cambridge Pixel, a developer of radar display, tracking and recording sub-systems (www.cambridgepixel.com), is supplying its SPx Server technology and Maritime Display Framework (MDF) software to SEA-KIT (www.sea-kit.com) to enhance the operation of its Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs).