Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) will supply the Royal Navy with autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) systems which will act as mine countermeasure technology.
The £32m contract with the Ministry of Defence’s executive agency Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) will span three years and include the delivery of three MHC AUV systems comprising of nine vehicles in total, along with a comprehensive training and support package.
The MHC AUV system combines the Atlas Elekronik GmbH medium-sized SeaCat AUV fitted with the latest AEUK high resolution vision synthetic aperture sonar and the Seebyte Neptune and Military software for advanced planning and analysis.
AEUK has worked with Lidan Marine to develop a remote AUV handling system for the MHC AUV project, providing a launch and recovery system suitable for operation from platforms such as the RN’s ARCIMS USVs and SEA Class workboats.
This delivery to the MHC team will see AEUK providing another MCM toolbox element, alongside the in-service ARCIMS uncrewed surface vessels, with their advanced minesweeping payloads and towed minehunting sonars, enabled by AEUK’s unmanned vehicle autonomy software and sensors.
Minister for defence procurement, Jeremy Quin, said: “This innovative technology is a huge leap forward for the Royal Navy and will be crucial to protecting the security and safety of our personnel. Supporting wider British industry, it also reinforces our focus on ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of tackling defence threats.”
