Shark Marine Technologies Inc. (Canada) has been awarded the Underwater Navigation Integrated Sonar Units (UNIS) contract for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The UNIS contract is for the supply of 34 divers sonar reconnaissance systems. UNIS will be based on the Shark Marine Navigator and shall provide the Royal Australian Navy Divers with the latest technology to conduct underwater navigation, object identification and beach reconnaissance duties.
The UNIS contract is for 34 systems with spares and dedicated training packages. Delivery of the systems will begin in June 2012.
UNIS will be based on the Shark Marine divers sonar unit the Navigator. The Navigator has been employed by some of the world’s leading military Reconnaissance Teams and Navy Clearance Divers. The Navigator provides customers with the ability to conduct clandestine underwater navigation, beach reconnaissance and object identification (Explosive Ordnance Reconnaissance (EOR) within the Very Shallow Water (VSW), Surf Zone (SZ) and deep water of the littoral to 100 metres. The Navigator contributes to the success of Mine Countermeasure (MCM) duties and amphibious operations by aiding the operator’s ability to ensure the sea way is clear of ordnance, obstacles and the beach gradients are suitable for landing craft usage.
To assist with larger area surveys the Navigator can be configured to be operated from small craft. This enables the expansion of area surveys around landing beaches to be conducted or to survey the path for the passage of major warships. These additional tasks are reported to have been completed with great success.
The object identification capabilities of the Navigator also enables support to be provided to homeland security by aiding object identification searches within ports, docks and ship hulls as well as assisting civilian authorities with specific underwater searches for objects, missing persons or hazards.
The success of the Navigator is based on its modular design that enables the operators to configure the Navigator with appropriate sonar heads, navigating equipment (GPS, Doppler, long base line) and dedicated operational software to match the mission requirements. Shark Marine Technologies has worked closely with the world military forces to design hardware and software to meet the requirements of front line operators.
The Shark Marine Navigator is already in service with a number of the world’s leading military forces. The award of the UNIS contract to the Royal Australian Navy confirms Shark Marine as the world leader for underwater diver’s sonar systems and the Navigator as the choice of modern military forces.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , May 11, 2012; Image: Shark Marine