Hike Metal Products, HydroSurv Partner to Deploy USV Platforms Across US, Canada

Hike Metal Products Limited has signed a Technology Licensing Agreement with HydroSurv, establishing a partnership that will see Hike Metal manufacture, market and support HydroSurv’s portfolio of Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) platforms across Canada and the United States.

The agreement marks another step in HydroSurv’s international deployment of commercially proven Rapid Environmental Assessment Vessel (REAV) technology, through an established North American manufacturing partner. 

As demand for uncrewed maritime technology continues to grow across North America, the partnership enables Hike Metal to extend that expertise into an increasingly important sector. By combining Hike Metal's manufacturing capability and experience in delivering specialist vessels with HydroSurv's USV platforms, the partnership brings together complementary strengths to deliver locally manufactured and supported uncrewed vessel solutions for the North American market.

The partnership is expected to support a range of organizations across Canada and the United States, including police agencies, Ministries of Natural Resources, research organizations, hydrographic survey companies and other government marine operators. As demand grows for safer, more efficient and environmentally responsible methods of undertaking hydrographic and geophysical survey, subsea asset inspection, oceanographic observation and environmental monitoring, the REAV platform provides a range of small and midsize platform solutions backed by local manufacture and regional support.

Hike Metal will offer a range of platform solutions from 2.5 to 6m length, including the battery-electric REAV-28 for inland and shelter water survey operations, where portability and ease of launch and recovery is important for day-work operations in ports, harbors and inland water worksites. The battery-hybrid REAV-47 is a nearshore survey platform ideally suited to multi-day landfall survey operations across a spectrum of hydrographic, geophysical and oceanographic taskings. For longer endurance coastal survey operations, Hike will also offer the REAV-60 with a specific focus on large payloads including ROV and towed array systems.

Founded in 1958 on the shores of Lake Erie, Hike Metal has evolved from supporting the commercial fishing industry into one of Canada's leading custom shipbuilders. Today, the company designs and manufactures a portfolio of commercial workboats, patrol vessels, research vessels, search and rescue craft, ferries, hovercraft and other mission-specific platforms.