Nigerian survey specialist acquires USV from UK builder

UK unmanned systems manufacturer HydroSurv Unmanned Survey has sold an aluminium-hulled unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to Geodetic Offshore Services (GOSL) of Nigeria.

The battery-hybrid craft will be integrated with an advanced payload consisting of a Ping DSP 3DSS-IDX interferometric sonar alongside Innomar's compact parametric sub-bottom profiler.

HydroSurv said this payload configuration will enable concurrent wide-swath bathymetric mapping and high-resolution sub-bottom imaging for comprehensive landfall survey capability on offshore infrastructure projects.

GOSL will operate the multi-purpose USV as a stand-alone survey system and as a supplemental mothership.

The vessel can sustain survey operations for up to 72-hours with a hybrid system consisting of a 12kW Mastervolt battery and a 4kW Fischer Panda generator.

The USV will utilise HydroSurv's advanced vessel control system, alongside an autopilot from Dynautics and a navigation and situational awareness suite from Furuno and TimeZero. The vessel's 5kW rim-driven electric propulsion from RDT will meanwhile help minimise the risk of entanglement from floating debris.

Bris, one of the first examples from the same series of USV, is being operated by Norway-based Nordic USV under a 60-month lease agreement.