Exail introduces new transoceanic Uncrewed Surface Vessel

French autonomy specialist Exail has unveiled a new transoceanic Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), the DriX 0-16. With a range of 2,500 Nautical Miles (NM) and a unique naval architecture that enables the USV to withstand the most severe ocean conditions, the DriX 0-16 has been designed for 30-day deployments and can deploy multiple payloads and subsea assets.

The DriX 0-16 leverages the successful track record of the already existing DriX USV, launched back in 2017 that has accumulated over 150,000 hours of operations at sea in more than 19 countries. The new DriX 0-16 has hybrid propulsion, redundant architecture and an advanced communication systems, as well as Al-powered obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities.

“With this next-generation transoceanic low-carbon USV, we are pushing back the limits of ocean exploration, empowering collaborative autonomy between surface and subsea drones, while minimising human exposure at sea,” said Mr Olivier Cervantes, VP Maritime Autonomy Solutions at Exail. “The introduction of our new DriX 0-16 truly marks a significant stride in autonomous maritime operations, as multi-robot missions are definitely where we see the maritime industry and our own developments leaning in the coming years.”

The new USV can launch and recover a wide range of subsea assets such as Remotely Operated Towed Vehicles (ROTVs), Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for inspection as well as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Its gondola, located below the surface, can host a wide range of payloads such as deep-water Multibeam Echosounders (MBES), Sub-Bottom Profilers (SBP) or acoustic subsea positioning and communication systems (USBL).

This makes the new DriX 0-16 especially suited for full ocean depth scientific and hydrographic surveys, geophysical and UXO surveys, as well as subsea infrastructures inspection and surveys that might require the deployment of multiple robots, says the company.

Exail is one of two companies shortlisted for the RAN’s Project SEA1905 which seeks an autonomous mine counter-measures capability.