Canadian shipbuilder Hike Metal Products has entered into a technology licensing agreement with UK-based unmanned systems specialist HydroSurv, establishing a partnership that will see Hike Metal manufacture, market and support HydroSurv’s entire portfolio of unmanned surface vehicle (USV) platforms across Canada and the United States.
The agreement will combine Hike Metal's manufacturing capability and extensive experience in delivering specialist vessels with HydroSurv's proven USV platforms to deliver locally manufactured and supported unmanned vessel solutions for the North American market.
The partnership is expected to support a range of organisations across Canada and the United States, including police agencies, ministries of natural resources, research organisations, hydrographic survey companies and other government marine operators.
Hike Metal will offer a range of platform solutions from 2.5 to six metres in length, including HydroSurv's battery-electric USV for inland and shelter water survey operations, where portability and ease of launch and recovery are important for day-work operations in ports, harbours and inland water worksites. The battery-hybrid USV is a nearshore survey platform ideally suited to multi-day landfall survey operations across a spectrum of hydrographic, geophysical and oceanographic taskings.
For longer endurance coastal survey operations, Hike will also offer another USV with a specific focus on large payloads including remotely operated vehicles and towed array systems.
Following the signing of the agreement in July, Hike Metal and HydroSurv are immediately initiating the first builds of North American-manufactured HydroSurv unmanned vessels for deployment in Canada and the United States.
