French marine robotics company Exail has made the first sale of its DriX H-9 long-range uncrewed surface vessel (USV) for civil offshore operations to an undisclosed European client.
Equipped with a multibeam echosounder (MBES), side scan sonar (SSS), sub-bottom profiler (SBP) and magnetometer, the 9-meter-long DriX H-9 will be deployed for offshore infrastructure survey operations.
According to Exail , the USV is particularly suited for complex offshore survey operations, combining long endurance with the ability to carry a full geophysical sensor suite while reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
DriX H-9, which has a range of 2,000 nautical miles and a 550-liter fuel capacity, is capable of reaching a depth of 3,000 meters.
“Our approach to better serve offshore customer requirements by offering a range of USVs with various endurance and payload capacities is clearly gaining momentum,” said Olivier Cervantes , VP Maritime Autonomy Solutions at Exail.
“With the DriX H-9, clients can operate over the horizon with up to 20 days of endurance while deploying a complete geophysical spread including MBES, SSS, SBP and magnetometer. We are delighted to see our client acting as a pioneer survey company in Europe by leveraging this capability.”