Ocean intelligence company Saildrone has just put the first of a new generation of autonomous Surveyor ships into the water: an aluminum version that the Navy is keen to cash in on. But don't worry, they don't put weapons on them.
Demand for ships like Saildrone's is growing, founder and CEO Richard Jenkins told TechCrunch.
“We expect the need for ocean observations to continue to grow in size, complexity and quality. Atmospheric, surface and subsurface technologies have a role to play in ocean observations,” he said.
The 20-meter-long SD-3000 is similar to previous versions of Surveyor that currently sail the ocean and collect data, but this version has an aluminum hull while the other is made of a fiberglass/carbon composite. However, the wing (or sail, but sails are made of fabric) is still composite.
“Aluminum was chosen for the hull and keel due to its durability and longevity in the ocean environment, cost and ability to mass produce quickly in very large plants like Austal,” Jenkins said. “We do not have the same volume of composite production facilities available in the United States.”
Image credits: Glider
We recently saw startup Syrenna and non-profit Cerulean demonstrate the value of quasi-stationary and satellite-based observations, respectively.
“USVs provide high-resolution data, simultaneously from above and below the sea surface. This data has a much higher spatial and temporal resolution than can be obtained from satellites, and the extreme range and endurance allow for continuous measurements beyond the reach of vehicles,” Jenkins explained. Self-driving, the onboard sonar can reach 11,000 metres, which should be enough. “We see Saildrone as an integral part of the ecosystem to not only collect data, but to provide high-bandwidth satellite communications and even physical delivery.” for other systems.”
Improved maritime information is an enabler in climate science, international logistics, law enforcement and of course military matters. The Navy is a special customer for this brand new vessel; Admiral Lisa Franchitti noted that unmanned vehicles very simply allow manned vehicles to go where they are needed instead of performing tasks that could be automated, such as continuous surveillance.
However, no one has yet suggested arming Saildrone ships. This is probably not a good thing – weapons platforms have to be designed from the ground up for combat, and Surveyors (hint in the name) are more focused on gathering information.
It is expected that the Austal line will be able to send one surveyor every six weeks to start with. The SD-3000 and a few of its aluminum relatives will be detailed in the Navy's testing pipeline for its ability to produce “surface and undersea intelligence for a range of high-priority applications, including anti-submarine warfare.”
