Page 49: of Marine News Magazine (June 2018)

48 50

AUTONOMOUS RESPONSE VESSELS of remotely-operated ? re response in “RALamander needs none of these industry sectors. The ? rm’s products a customizable system to suit a port’s things and can respond immediately and systems include all aspects of ma- needs for capability and cost. But, can in a CBRNE event, even sacri? cially if rine automation, safety, maneuvering, today’s domestic cash-strapped mu- necessary,” explains Kongsberg’s Lars- navigation, and dynamic position- nicipalities afford such a tool? RAL son, adding quickly, “So, we see don't ing, communication and camera sys- and Kongsberg say that they can. see RALamander necessarily replacing tems, among many others. Together,

Like any new design concept, manned ? reboats in a port setting, but the two ? rms constitute a robust and there are trade-offs and cost differ- working with them as a force multipli- proven team, fully capable of this kind entials. When considering a standard er. Offshore ? re? ghting is another ex- of high-tech endeavor.

(manned) ? reboat and this version, cellent application for RALamander.” According to both RAL and Kongs- the end-user might pay a premium for berg, the concept has certainly generat-

A Look Ahead: what’s next?

the control system, but also achieve ed interest and the partners report hav- savings in other areas. RAL’s den Her- Over time, Vancouver-based Rob- ing “some irons in the ? re with regard tog agrees. “Yes, that is exactly the sit- ert Allan Ltd. (RAL) has emerged as to the ? rst customer.” With well over uation. There are capital cost savings a leader in developing high-perfor- one thousand of their tugs and other from dispensing with the deckhouse, mance response vessels of many types, workboat designs built to date, Robert wheelhouse, domestic systems or life- but particularly ? reboats for many of Allan Ltd has established long-stand- saving equipment, but there are offset the world’s major ports. For its part, ing close working relationships with by a premium for electronics, commu- Norway-based Kongsberg Maritime is shipyards around the world. And, says nications, sensing and operator con- a global marine technology company Vince den Hertog, “A ? rst vessel built sole equipment to operate remotely. providing solutions for all marine on speculation is a distinct possibility.”

In the end, the cost difference will not be prohibitive since the capital cost of the vessel remains driven mainly by hull structure and major equipment/ machinery. In any case, it's dif? cult to make apples-to-apples comparison between RALamander and a manned ? reboat because they don't necessarily serve is the same roles.”

For example, and in port service, manned ? reboats are often tasked not only with ? re? ghting, but also with rescue and medical service which

RALamander cannot provide. On the other hand, RALamander is able to ? ght ? res that are too dangerous for a manned ? reboat, or respond in

CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Ra- diological, Nuclear, Explosive) events if a ? reboat is not equipped for it. While some ? reboats in major US cities like

New York, Long Beach California and

Seattle are CBRNE-equipped, the cost & complexity of the special equip- ment and arrangements required such as air locks, military-grade air ? ltration and citadel pressurization systems, and redundant detection are considerable. 49 www.marinelink.com MN

MN June18 Layout 32-49.indd 49 MN June18 Layout 32-49.indd 49 5/25/2018 10:24:18 AM5/25/2018 10:24:18 AM