VESSEL REVIEW | Viper – UK-built multi-role USV boasts over-the-horizon capability

UK-based Zero USV, a company under unmanned systems specialist MSubs, recently introduced the first example of a new series of unmanned surface vehicle (USV).

The aluminium monohull USV Viper – which is being operated under charter by Canadian maritime data acquisition specialist LeeWay Marine – is designed for long distance over-the-horizon operations.

It has also been designed to be mission-agnostic, allowing a wide range of potential applications from surveys and monitoring of infrastructure to safety, geophysical surveys, border control, fisheries enforcement, and defence.

Long endurance coupled with autonomous and remote operating modes

Viper has an LOA of 11.55 metres (37.89 feet), a beam of 2.33 metres (7.64 feet), a draught of only 1.76 metres (5.77 feet), and a displacement of six tonnes.

Zero USV Founder Matthew Ratsey said the craft was designed with safety and efficiency in mind, being able to take on offshore over-the-horizon tasks that would typically require a crew, thus eliminating on-water risks and associated costs, including environmental benefits afforded by it being crewless.

Operation of the craft can be either fully autonomous or via remote control with manoeuvring inputs provided from a shoreside observation centre. This ensures enhanced operational flexibility.

The USV also boasts hybrid electric propulsion, twin drives for redundancy, and up to 1,200 litres (260 gallons) of onboard fuel to enable a cruising range of more than 2,500 nautical miles. The craft will normally cruise at six knots though a sprint speed of 10 knots can be achieved when carrying a minimal payload.

Compatible with multiple payload configurations

The onboard Navtech millimetre-wave radar and other sensors integrate multiple data streams into the craft’s MarineAI autonomy software to enable real-time processing and analysis, ensuring COLREGS-compliant vessel control and navigation.

The sensors can be fitted in an adaptable payload bay and a quick change keel. The latter allows pre-loaded sensors to be swapped in or out with minimal downtime.

LeeWay Marine will operate the USV alongside its other vessels in serving clients in the defence and offshore sectors in Canada, the United States, and the Indo-Pacific region.