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People & Company News vitation to extend its role on the Hum- underwater infrastructure. The Navy the MK19 system, was developed under ber Gateway and complete un? nished accepted delivery of Blue? n’s ship hull Of? ce of Naval Research and the EOD cable pull-ins through an externally po- inspection systems 4 and 5 under the Program Of? ce (PMS 408). The vehicle sitioned J-Tube. “Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Hull allows detection of IEDs and limpet

Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Lo- mines on ship hulls, piers, pilings and

Hull Inspection Systems calization System” (EOD HULS) Pro- quay walls for harbor and force protec- for U.S. Navy gram of Record. Each System (known tion. “The MK19 vehicle operates by

Blue? n Robotics delivered new vehicles as MK19), consists of two vehicles and hull-relative navigation and control and to the U.S. Navy to increase the Navy’s associated support equipment. Blue? n’s provides very detailed acoustic images capability to remotely search and inves- third-generation Hovering Autonomous of a ship hull with 100% sonar cover- tigate ship hulls, harbor sea ? oors and Underwater Vehicle (HAUV-3), used in age, without prior knowledge about the ship,” said Jerome Vaganay, Blue? n’s

Director of Inspection Systems. “Al- though it looks like an ROV with its six thrusters and its ? ber optic data tether, the vehicle is powered by an onboard battery and operates primarily autono- mously with the ability for the opera- tor to take manual control to investigate contacts.” (Photo courtesy of Blue? n Robotics)

Gondan Lays Keel for IMR Oceanographic Vessel

Gondan Shipyard celebrated the keel lay- ing ceremony of the new Oceanographic

Research Vessel for the Institute of Ma- rine Research (IMR) of Bergen, Norway.

At the ceremony, held at Gondan’s facili- ties in Figueras, were several represen- tatives from the Norwegian Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, NORAD (Norwegian

Agency for Development Cooperation),

IMR (Institute of Marine Research) and

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), as well as repre- sentatives of the shipyard management.

The contract of this oceanographic ves- sel was signed in March last year. This ship was awarded to Gondan Shipyard through an international tender, in which it competed with eight Norwegian and a

Spanish shipyard, and in March the proj- ect was ? nally awarded to it.

Designed by Skipsteknisk, it will be 74.5 x 17.4 m. Cutting edge technology has been used to develop the vessel, which will allow her to perform oceanographic biomass analysis, and geology works, well as logistic and cargo handling opera- tasks – such as studying the bottom of launching and recovery of buoys for data tions, and student training. Delivery is ex- the sea – hydrographic, marine biology, collection, ROV and AUV operations, as pected for September 2016

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