Page 22: of Marine Technology Magazine (June 2020)

FEATURE USV Platforms small. The entire system can be contain- rate of effort, the workforce requirement, (AMAS) sweep, made by Thales, which erized, shipped to a task group such as conduct the integration, and springboard is a towed magnetic and acoustic multi- the RAN’s amphibious ships, the new into the strategy,” Parker said. “It’s a toe- infuence sweep for detonating infuence

Arafura-class OPV or the Hunter-class in-the-water of autonomy.” mines. If you know there’s a mine out future frigate. It can then be dispatched Thales Australia is the prime contractor there, you can send out one of the un- to another location if necessary. for SEA 1778 PH I, and has assembled manned boats and trigger the mine us-

It uses manned and unmanned surface a world-class team, starting with the fve ing the AMAS,” said Troy Stephen who vessels and autonomous underwater ve- 38-foot support boats made by Steber In- is the Director of the Underwater Sys- hicles that can search an area from a safe ternational of Taree, New South Wales. tems Business for Thales Australia. “The distance. The boats are the same, all though two AMAS is a proven capability used by

The procurement is also relatively mod- of them will also have be equipped with many navies around the world.” est, so the RAN can take gradual steps a control system from ECA of La Garde, General Dynamics Mission Systems towards using autonomous systems. France so they can be operated remotely. Bluefn Robotics General Dynamics “It’s a small buy so we can test the wa- “The unmanned boats (USVs) can tow Mission Systems Bluefn Robotics of ter, form our concepts, understand our the Australian Minesweeping System Quincy, Massachusetts, has delivered

Photo: General Dynamics Mission Systems Bluefn Robotics/Royal UK Navy June 2020 22

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