Exail has successfully completed sea trials validating the integration of new third-party payloads onto its DriX O-16 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), demonstrating the platform’s open and modular architecture.
Conducted in real-world maritime conditions, the trials featured the deployment of an Elistair Khronos tethered drone system and a Safran VIGY 4 electro-optical/infrared observation camera. This multi-sensor approach highlights how combining complementary technologies offers a comprehensive understanding of the maritime environment while supporting a wide range of maritime security, surveillance, and intelligence missions.
By adding the tethered drone, the platform gains a persistent aerial advantage. Operating directly from the moving vessel, the drone provides continuous surveillance with uninterrupted power and secure data transmission via its tether. Equipped with a stabilized camera featuring long-range detection, recognition, and identification capabilities, the drone allows operators to spot and track targets from much further away.
To complement the drone, the observation camera combines visible, medium-wave infrared, and short-wave infrared stabilized vision to deliver high-resolution day and night all-weather imaging. This allows for precise detection, tracking, and identification of elements of interest even in choppy or complex marine environments. Together, the two systems form a robust sensor suite that gives operators a clear, real-time picture of the water.
During the trials, both the vessel and its new payloads were managed remotely from the company’s Remote Operations Center in La Ciotat, France. This setup proved that teams can run complex, over-the-horizon surveillance missions from shore, keeping personnel safe on land while expanding operational reach at sea.
Beyond the technical specifications, the demonstration proves that the vessel is designed with the onboard power, software architecture, and deck space needed to swap payload systems quickly. This plug-and-play approach allows operators to customize the vessel for specific missions—such as border protection, critical infrastructure monitoring, and intelligence-gathering—without losing access to core autonomous navigation and mission management software.
