L3 ASV, an L3 Technologies company, has announced that together with Sonardyne International Ltd. it will offer 6G-enabled capability across its commercial autonomous unmanned surface vessel (USV) product range.
L3’s C-Stat 2 and C-Cat 3 autonomous vessels will be offered factory-fitted with Sonardyne’s 6G range of Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) tracking and communications systems. These unique platforms and sensor combinations have been proven to deliver optimised solutions for data gathering and subsea positioning tasks during inshore and offshore operational scenarios.
The C-Stat 2, equipped with Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Gyro USBL model, is designed for operators needing to position underwater assets with high levels of precision. The platform will enable a range of tasks, such as touchdown monitoring, seismic cable lay operations, Compatt 6 Long BaseLine (LBL) array box-in and remote LBL baseline calibration, vehicle tracking and subsea sensor data collecting.
The C-Cat 3, equipped with Mini-Ranger 2, will be able to operate as a gateway for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) operations, enabling tracking and communications with up to 10 AUVs at the same time.
“Combining our unrivalled autonomous vessel technology with Sonardyne’s industry-standard communication and positioning systems will enable us to provide end users with a fully integrated solution,” said James Cowles, Commercial Technical Sales Manager, L3 UK. “Factory fitting Sonardyne 6G also adds value to our existing solutions, making the transition from conventional manned survey platforms to autonomy a much smoother process for companies looking to gain the competitive edge with lower costs and safer data acquisition.”
“L3 and Sonardyne have a long history of successfully working together to deliver on cutting-edge technical programmes. Now L3’s customers will be able to access Sonardyne’s versatile 6G acoustic positioning, communication and sensing technology on proven commercial autonomous vessel platforms,” said Ioseba Tena, Global Business Manager – Marine Robotic Systems, Sonardyne. “Combining these capabilities means customers have access to vessels that can perform more remote and autonomous marine operations; including tracking multiple AUVs and real-time data harvesting in hard to access environments across defence, offshore and ocean science sectors.”
