Unmanned Survey Solutions’ new Accession Class unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have been given the green light following the funding from Marine-i Marine Challenge Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The Accession Class USV is built for use in offshore operations, particularly offshore wind farm seabed mapping, offshore wind farm turbine inspections using a UAV launched and recovered from a USV, enforcement activities by Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, environmental mapping on intertidal areas and monitoring of marine mammals.
James Williams , director at USS said: “This is a fantastic opportunity and we’re delighted to receive support from the Marine-i Marine Challenge Fund to be able to develop our own offshore renewables class vessel. We’re now looking forward to working with project partners to finalize the Accession Class USV specifications.”
The 4.5 meters Accession Class USV will be a robust marine autonomous multi-role USV with integrated airborne drone capabilities, the company said.
It will work as a force multiplier with a mother vessel and will integrate a variety of payloads including the launch and recovery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).