Page 7 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2023 Online Magazine

unmanned surface vessels (USVs), a GBP1.8 million (USD2.4 million) world, including swarm attacks. The
contract to deliver five MANTAS T12 USVs to the Royal Navy and demonstration illustrated some of the
Joint Forces Command (JFC, now Strategic Command) for further
experimentation. capabilities that can be applied by the
Protector in a wide range of operational
scenarios. These capabilities are a sig-
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is already embracing the path
of USVs and has recently released its own ‘remote and autono- nificant force multiplier for the naval
mous systems-artificial intelligence’ (RAS-AI) strategy document forces, from the stage of detection,
that charts a course through 2040 to develop and incorporate deterrence and, if necessary, neutral-
such capabilities. Local development of the Ocius Technologies’ ization of the threat…”
‘Bluebottle’ USV opens up prospects for hundreds of such platforms,
operating as a network to undertake surveillance tasks in a manner
that can support maritime domain awareness missions and a range Currently, Israel commands mature USV technol-
of military tasks. Although the RAN does not have specific capabili- ogies in the field of advanced maritime security
ties for armed autonomous platforms being developed currently, the and intelligence surveillance.
release of the RAS-AI strategy highlights a path to such platforms
before the 2040s. Israel’s Elbit Systems recently introduced new
technologies on-board the Seagull USV further
Israel also excels in the USV field. As early as 2003, Israel launched enhancing its capability to operate auton-
their USV project, the Protector USV, which until now has been devel- omously in a busy maritime environment and
oping for almost two decades. to overcome communication challenges. A
360-degrees Panoramic Video System with an
Automatic Target Recognition capability and a
In 2018, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and NATO carried out patented Automatic Navigation System, com-
joint training of the Protector USV off the Israeli coast, demonstrating plement the USV’s Sense and Avoid capability,
the USV’s capabilities against naval swarm threats. Then, Moshe enabling the vessel to operate in compliance
Elazar, EVP and Head of the Land and Naval Systems Division at with the International Regulations for Preventing
Rafael, noted that “the demonstration of the Protector’s Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGs). This enables
capabilities to the NATO force further enhances the the Seagull USV to operate safely in dense har-
need to handle the threats emanating from terror and bors, at sea with heavy traffic and autonomously
criminal activity that naval forces are facing around the complete missions even without communica-
tions with the control station.
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