VESSEL REVIEW | New Zealand Customs Service to deploy ROVs for counter-narcotics missions
The New Zealand Customs Service recently took delivery of three remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in a series built by US-based unmanned systems specialist Oceanbotics.
The ROVs are similar to the Oceanbotics-supplied craft already in service with the Australian Border Force (ABF). In NZ Customs use, the ROVs will be deployed on counter-narcotics smuggling missions, as the unmanned vehicles were acquired in response to increasingly sophisticated maritime smuggling tactics.
The builder added that through this particular series of ROV, NZ Customs will be able to align its technological capabilities with those of key defence and border enforcement agencies in the region – in particular the Royal New Zealand Navy and the ABF – thus fostering seamless collaboration.
Light, compact and durable construction ideal for heavy-duty use
The ROVs each have a length of 50 centimetres (1.6 feet), a beam of 43 centimetres (1.4 feet), a height of 41 centimetres (1.3 feet), a displacement of 18.6 kg (41 lb), and eight brushless DC thrusters. Each ROV is light and compact enough that it can be deployed in as little as three minutes whether from shore, a boat or a dock.
The craft can operate at depths of as low as 350 metres (1,100 feet) and in air temperatures of between –10 and 60 degrees Celsius and water temperatures of between –2 and 35 degrees Celsius. Precise control is possible even in strong currents.
Long endurance permitting sustained monitoring operations
Each ROV has an endurance of eight hours on battery power, allowing for sustained use during counter-smuggling missions. Oceanbotics said the craft’s two batteries are swappable, permitting fast replacement in the field for minimal downtime.
As an alternative, a topside power system may be used to continuously provide electrical power for the ROV, thus eliminating the need for the craft to be taken out of the water periodically for its batteries to be swapped.
Dual operating modes for greater flexibility
Key equipment on each craft includes a 4K video camera, depth humidity and temperature sensors, and two adjustable lights.
Operation of each ROV can be via a handheld controller with an adjustable standing harness or a ruggedised laptop computer. Either device comes with a sunlight-readable display.
A digital interface module will enable data transfer and storage between the ROV and the control system used.
Oceanbotics also provided closed-source, encrypted ROV software, which it developed in-house. The software boasts intuitive controls and centralised data in one easy-to-access file.
The ROVs can also be fitted with add-on equipment such as multi-beam and 3D imaging sonars, USBL positioning sensors, a Doppler velocity log, an acoustic tracking system, and various types of manipulator arms and grabbers.
