Indra conducts initial demonstration of prototype of optionally manned vessel

Indra has conducted an initial demonstration of the prototype of an optionally manned vessel at the Rande inlet of Ría de Vigo in Spain.

The vessel is under development as part of the Civil UAVs Initiative, a project that has the backing of  the Galicia government.

This system has been designed to undertake search and rescue missions; surveillance at ports, marine farms and installations; customs control; and environmental research, among other possibilities.

The unmanned surface vehicle (USV) prototype features 7.3-meter length, 2.6-meter beam, waterjet propulsion and maximum 35-knot speed.

The demonstration had seen the system being operated remotely from an onshore control station that secured data through its sensors. The P2006T MRI maritime surveillance aircraft monitored the mission from the air whilst transmitting images to ground.

The boat, which can carry two people, comes with propulsion mechanism controlled by a line-of-sight radio connection and a system that allows autonomous deployment of an underwater robot.

This exercise has completed the first phase of development of the USV.

In the upcoming development phases, Indra plans to focus on integration of the underwater vehicle (ROV), which will be connected to the USV by an umbilical cord to secure control and data. It will carry out underwater exploration tasks. The surface vehicle will be fitted with an alternative electric propulsion so that it can navigate at low speed.