L3 ASV has delivered a C-Enduro long-endurance autonomous USV to the Royal Navy, the company announced on 5 February.
The 4.8m USV is equipped with ten sensors combining scientific and hydrographic survey equipment. The vessel operates using the ASView control system and is fitted with an autonomy package to ensure situational awareness and smart path planning. ASView enables a range of autonomous control modes, including line following, station-keeping and geofencing.
The USV will be used for military data gathering trials by the Royal Navy’s Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic Capability (MHC) programme.
Alex du Pre, MHC team lead at Defence Equipment And Support, UK Ministry of Defence, said: ‘The different ways in which the C-Enduro can be operated will allow the navy to test and develop the ability of an autonomous USV to effectively gather important hydrographic data and potentially form part of a future capability to be delivered by the MHC programme.’
C-Enduro