Exail: A New (Old) Name in Subsea
ECA Group and iXblue join forces and become ExailFollowing the acquisition of iXblue by Group Gorgé at the end of September, ECA Group and iXblue announced that both companies will be operating under a new joint brand: Exail.Exail aims to be a global high-tech industrial champion specializing in robotics, maritime, navigation, aerospace and photonics technologies, and according to Fabien Napolitano, CEO of iXblue, "Joining forces under a joint brand allows us to become a major global player capable of addressing new and larger markets, but also to federate our 1,500 employees around the
Groupe Gorgé Completes Its Acquisition of iXblue
French tech company Groupe Gorgé on Thursday announced it has finalized its acquisition of iXblue.Notably, the deal brings together iXblue and ECA Group, creating a European high-tech industrial leader in the fields of robotics, maritime, navigation, aerospace and photonics. The two companies will benefit from a global workforce of 1,500 people and will achieve an annual turnover of €250 million. Together, iXblue and ECA Group will provide customers with an offer ranging from components to complex systems to support critical missions in severe environments.Fabien Napolitano, President
iXblue, ECA Group Demo Subsea Asset Tracking to Polish Naval Academy
iXblue and ECA Group reportedly demonstrated successful subsea asset tracking in shallow waters using iXblue Gaps M7 USBL (Ultra Short BaseLine) positioning system and ECA Group new R7 ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).Hosted by their local partner THESTA, a Polish company providing maritime navigation services and communication systems for the defense sector, the demonstration was organized for the Polish Naval Academy and NAVSUP 2022 attendees with the aim of showing that accurate positioning of underwater targets is possible in a potentially hostile and fast-approaching environment, in coastal
ECA Group and iXblue Discussing Merger
French autonomous robotics companies ECA Group and iXblue have entered an exclusive negotiations period to bring the two French companies together and merge, and create "a European high-tech industrial champion in the fields of maritime, inertial navigation, space, and photonics.""Long-standing partners, ECA Group and iXblue benefit from strong technological and commercial synergies. Bringing those two companies together will create a world-class player in the civil and defense sectors. With a unique offer ranging from components to complex systems, the group will provide high-performance
RTSYS Hires Caux as Business Director
French based underwater acoustics and robotics company RTSYS said it has hired Pierre-Alexandre Caux as its new business director.Caux brings to the role 11 years of previous experience at ECA Group and deep knowledge of unmanned systems market.
iXblue Equips Ifremer's New 6000m AUV
over five years by IFREMER, PACA Regional Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Total investment amounts to €5,280,000 and covers the entire cost of staff, tests and ships during the testing phase.The 6,000-meter rated AUV for Ifremer-led CORAL project has been developed by ECA Group (Image: Ifremer / ECA Group / CORAL Project)Available as an AUV payload, Sams-150 expands the capabilities of conventional side-scan sonar for shallow- to deep-sea applications. The Sams 150’s interferometric sonar will deliver co-registered full-swath backscatter and bathymetry data, increasing
Navy Mine Countermeasures Contract Awarded
ECA Group awarded UMS SKELDAR a procurement contract to supply the UAV SKELDAR V-200 as part of the naval mine countermeasures capability replacement, a program led by Belgium Naval & Robotics – a consortium including Naval Group and ECA Group – which will supply 12 mine hunters equipped with drone systems (Toolbox) to the Belgian and Royal Netherlands navies.Working across 12 new generation ships (six each for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies), this contract is the first to materialize the stand-off concept by using a Toolbox – a system composed of a variety of drones to
Deploying ROVs and AUVs from USVs
vehicle will be fitted with an array of sensors including cameras and laser scanners allowing detailed inspection of subsea assets. The system is currently in development and XOCEAN plan to have a system in operation in 2021.”Others have been working on similar capabilities. Last year [2019], ECA GROUP, which mostly provides USVs with mine counter measures capabilities (to detect then destroy mine-like objects) demonstrated the capability of performing a subsea inspection using its USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) INSPECTOR deploying a H300V type ROV within a Research and Development program led
Deploying ROVs and AUVs from USVs
vehicle will be fitted with an array of sensors including cameras and laser scanners allowing detailed inspection of subsea assets. The system is currently in development and XOCEAN plan to have a system in operation in 2021.”Others have been working on similar capabilities. Last year [2019], ECA GROUP, which mostly provides USVs with mine counter measures capabilities (to detect then destroy mine-like objects) demonstrated the capability of performing a subsea inspection using its USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) INSPECTOR deploying a H300V type ROV within a Research and Development program led
February 2024
