Autonomous Surface Vehicles  - Thales UK has signed a contract with Autonomous Surface Vehicles Ltd to develop a re-configurable Unmanned Surface Vehicle to meet the challenges of future off-board Mine Countermeasures operations.  The vessel has been jointly designed to meet a number of key requirements and drivers:

·         Deployable from military platforms, craft of opportunity and from shore/harbour

·         Air transportable

·         Payload flexibility for all MCM systems – unmanned underwater vehicles, towed sonar, disposal systems, minesweeping

·         Stable platform with excellent slow speed and towing capabilities

·         Highly reliable and cost effective

The low signature Autonomous Surface Vehicles, which is 11.5m in length and 3.6m in beam, will have a maximum speed of around 25 knots.    The vehicle is now under construction and will be undergoing acceptance trials later this year. A series of payload trials will be conducted from early 2013 onwards, drawing on experience gained in previous off-board system programmes.

Autonomous Surface Vehicles Ltd is a UK company and part of Global Fusion, a privately owned international marine services group, formed in 1998.  It remains to be seen if the MoD will pick up this idea.