ECA to export three Inspector USVs
ECA Group has received a $11 million export contract for the delivery of three Inspector Mk2 Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) for mine countermeasures to an unnamed customer, it was announced on 12 July.
The first system will be delivered by the end of 2016 followed by two others in 2017 and 2018.
The Inspector Mk2 USV can be operated autonomously or remotely from a control station.
The USVs will be equipped with ECA’s Towed Side Scan Sonar (TOWSCA) subsea robotic system. TOWSCA can operate up to depths of 100m, gathering data and transmitting it to the control station in real time through the USV high data rate radio link.
The USVs will also be fitted with two SEASCANs each - an identification vehicle in the ECA Group Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) range. SEASCAN is deployed with a compact launch and recovery system (LARS) and can operate up to three hours in a range of 1,000m around the USV at depths of up to 300m.
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