Unmanned sentinel

Unmanned sentinel

Abu Dhabi-based Al Seer Marine Technologies (Stands B-011, B-012) is showcasing its capabilities in unmanned surface vessel (USV) design, manufacture and integration at NAVDEX 2019.

Capitalising on in-house skills in naval architecture, boat building, systems integration and technology solutions, Al Seer Marine specialises in developing tailored USV designs for specific missions, Lee Drinkwater, the company’s head of business development and strategy, told the IDEX Show Daily. “We have the ability to integrate commercial-off-the-shelf and government-furnished equipment with our own proprietary technology to meet specific requirements. Our capability also extends to the delivery of operator and maintainer training".

On display in the NAVDEX marina area is a demonstrator vessel based on Al Seer Marine’s 11m Tamin series USV hull. “The interdiction craft demonstrator we are displaying this week has been adapted to integrate a Teledyne e2v RF Safe-Stop microwave system,” said Drinkwater. “This is a nonlethal microwave device designed to disable marine engines.”

The RF Safe-Stop system generates a directed, narrowband microwave beam. Teledyne e2v claims an effective range of more than 50m over water against a lightweight patrol boat.

Drinkwater added: “We have integrated the RF Safe-Stop system into the Tamin hull, and developed a lifting mechanism to allow it to elevate and train. Trials have proved the performance of the system, and we are seeing a lot of interest from coastguards.”

In a separate development, Al Seer Marine last year signed a partnership with Iceland’s Rafnar to license the Rafnar Hull for manned and unmanned vessel applications. The unique design of the Rafnar Hull significantly minimises the effects of slamming impacts.