Leeway Marine and Kraken Robotics to develop minehunting and hydrographic vessel

Ship charter service provider LeeWay Marine and unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) company Kraken Robotics have begun work on adapting LeeWay’s high-speed patrol boat for mine-hunting and hydrographic missions.

Once work is completed, the 22-metre LeeWay Striker will be equipped with a towed vehicle carrying Kraken’s expeditionary seabed mapping and intelligence system.

Both companies expect the Striker Minehunting and Hydrographic Patrol Vessel (MHPV) will be used in a range of applications from hunting mines to monitoring oil platforms and pipelines to tracking aeroplanes’ flight data recorders lying on the ocean floor.

Capable of speeds of over 50 knots, LeeWay Striker will become the world’s fastest mine-hunting and ocean-mapping platform once it enters operational service.