Russian engineering firm Zala recently unveiled a new series of unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for commercial and security applications.
Examples of the USV will be capable of a range of tasks including patrol, hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring, pollution response, light cargo transport, and search and rescue.
Each craft will have aluminium and composite construction and a payload bay that can accommodate various sensors and other equipment totalling 300 kg. The payload can be configured accordingly to suit various mission requirements.
The USVs can be fitted with either outboard engines for open sea areas or waterjets for wetlands and coastal waters where algae and other debris could impede the use of outboards.
Either propulsion option is expected to deliver top speeds of between 30 and 45 knots under conditions of up to Sea State three.
The USVs will be designed to be operated remotely from shore, though they will also have fully autonomous navigation capability.
