Kraken Debuts AquaPix MINSAS

Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. announced the development of AquaPix MINSAS, a next generation Miniature Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar designed for operation to depths of 3,000m. The system integrates the latest electronics, transducer arrays and signal processing software and is optimized for the demanding size, weight, power and cost constraints of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) and high speed towfish platforms.

US Navy to Roll out Underwater Spy Satellites

The robotic series that remade crusade in skies will shortly extend to a low sea, with underwater view “satellites,” drone-launching pods on a sea building and unmanned ships sport submarines, reports AFP. The pods could launch surveillance drones in the air or at sea or provide a communications link when American forces are facing electronic jamming, said Jared Adams, spokesman for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The World’s Cold Ocean Lab

Those were the words of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier, Hon. Paul Davis, at a recent address announcing a $4.9 million investment by Fugro GeoSurveys – a leading geoscience company with a corporate history of more than 50 years – in collaboration with the Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) to operate a new Arctic-class vessel, with research and development capabilities, in the province’s waters in 2017.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Sensing Success

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is home to a number of companies at the cutting edge of remote sensing technology. From mature, established organizations to specialty start-ups, the province is increasingly excelling in this high technology category. Rutter Inc. has spent more than 20 years developing a proprietary suite of radar technologies including its Sigma S6 system, which has helped it lay claim as the largest supplier of ice radar systems in the world.

New Multibeam Z-Boat

Teledyne Oceanscience, in partnership with Teledyne Odom Hydrographic, unveiled the first public demonstration of a multibeam echosounder-equipped Z-Boat 1800 autonomous remote survey boat at the U.S. Hydro 2015 Conference. The 1.8-meter distinctive yellow survey boat is found in action all over the world conducting single-beam surveys in rivers, lakes and industrial water. The Z-Boat is typically used when access is restricted or conditions are unsafe for a manned vessel.

Ashtead Offering Neptune's Leak Detection

Ashtead Technology has secured a deal with Neptune Oceanographics Limited, adding underwater leak detection products to its rental fleet. Ashtead Technology will now offer Neptune’s leak detection systems and sensors including long range fluorescence and passive acoustics for rent to customers. Neptune Oceanographics products provide subsea pipeline leak detection services. With a major research and development program…

Sound Velocity Profiling System Launched

Teledyne Oceanscience has announced the launch of rapidCAST, an automated sound velocity (SV) profiling system for moving vessels. With the capability to automatically cast and recover a high quality SV probe to 500 meters at 8 knots without an operator on deck, rapidCAST offers many of the benefits previously only available from large costly towed profilers while simultaneously giving surveyors the convenience and cost savings of a small and portable unit that is easy to mobilize…

US Navy Opens Warfighting Development Center

Naval officers and midshipmen gathered at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) to celebrate the establishment of the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) June 9. The pep rally style ceremony, led by Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Forces, introduced the new advanced tactics and training command to those gathered on the waterfront at Pier 2. "I've been waiting 33 years for this day; what a great day this is for our surface warfare community," said Rowden.

Schlumberger Launches Industry-first GoM Survey

Schlumberger expanded its Gulf of Mexico multiclient wide-azimuth seismic data portfolio by launching a new survey in the Campeche Basin. The acquisition of the industry’s first multiclient wide-azimuth survey offshore Mexico will cover 80,000 sq km using two fleets of WesternGeco vessels, including Amazon Class, the world’s first purpose-designed 3D seismic vessels. “Building on our experience in the U.S.

SBG Systems' INS Chosen for Shom Fleet

Shom, the French national hydrographic and oceanographic office selected SBG Systems’ inertial navigation sytems to renew their whole fleet of INS. They chose Navsight Apogee INS for their speedboats and survey vessels for both shallow and deep-water real-time bathymetric surveys and Qinertia PPK software for post-processing tasks.Shom has 3 major objectives: national hydrography and cartography, defense support in hydro-oceanographic fields…

Research Vessel Atair to be Commissioned this Spring

A new liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered survey, wreck-search and research vessel built by German Naval Yards Kiel is currently undergoing installation and finishing works at Fassmer in Berne, Germany prior to being commissioned this spring.Ordered by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the new research vessel will be homeported in Hamburg, replacing the previous Atair, which entered operation in 1987.At 75 meters long and roughly 17 meters wide…

DCSA Sets Track and Trace Standards

The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), a non-profit group of nine major ocean freight carriers, published track and trace standards in an effort to unify information sharing and further digitalization goals."This is the first of many initiatives to be put forth by DCSA to transform inefficient practices and accelerate digitization through a unified industry effort," said the Container line group.Carriers…

FUSION-LINK™ Implementation On Humminbird Ion And ONIX Series

FUSION®, a worldwide leader in marine entertainment, announced today its FUSION-Link™ entertainment protocol is now supported by the Humminbird ION and ONIX series. Providing the ability to control audio capabilities and functions of the FUSION 700 and 205 Series Marine Entertainment System directly from ION and ONIX multifunction displays, FUSION-Link™ makes it easy for Humminbird owners to enjoy their onboard audio and video entertainment.

ASL Builds Custom Instrument for Hydrothermal Vent Flow

ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. has been awarded a $500,000 contract by the University of Georgia to build a reciprocal transmission acoustic scintillation instrument to measure the flow dynamics of a hydrothermal vent plume for a research project led by Dr. Daniela Di Iorio of the Department of Marine Sciences. The instrument will be installed at the Ocean Networks Canada NEPTUNE cabled observatory at the Endeavour hydrothermal vent site…

Bogazici Of Turkey Deliver Amapola 1

BOGAZICI A.S. of Turkey have recently delivered Amapola 1, the first Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3000 tug, to International Offshore Engineering and Development Company, Panama for PDVSA of Venezuela. This new design rounds out the RAstar family of Terminal / Escort tugs, which to date encompasses lengths from 27m to 39m and bollard pulls of up 120 tonnes. The RAstar Class are a series of well-proven…

Ingalls Authenticates Keel of Amphibious Assault Ship

Huntington Ingalls Industries authenticated the keel today for the future multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7). The warship is under construction at the company's Ingalls Shipbuilding division and was officially authenticated by its sponsor, Lynne Mabus, wife of U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, and Steve Senk, an HII employee who was awarded the Silver Star for his actions to save the second USS Tripoli (LPH 10) after the ship struck a mine during Operation Desert Storm.

Leidos Constructing AUV Anti-Submarine Warfare Tracker

National security, health & engineering solutions company, Leidos, says it has under construction an autonomous unmanned vessel designed to track quiet diesel-electric submarines spanning miles of ocean depths for months at a time with minimal human input, and due for testing at sea in 2015. Construction on the ACTUV (Autonomous Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel) is under a Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) program for the design…

Island Performer Equipped for Deep-Sea Subsea Work

The Ulstein Verft subsea newbuild, Island Performer, was delivered today to shipowner Island Offshore. The flexible, state-of-the-art RLWI/IMR vessel will serve her first five years for FTO in the Gulf of Mexico. “The vessel is customized to suit the scope of work in the FTO contract, in which RLWI (Riser-less Light Well Intervention) and IMR (Inspection/Maintenance/Repair) are the main tasks. She is able to perform operations at depths down to 3…

Oi 50th "Voices": Professor Edward Hill, OBE, Chief Executive, National Oceanography Centre

Oceanology International, the world's largest exhibition and conference for the subsea sector, was originally scheduled for March 2020, subsequently rescheduled to December 2020 due to COVID-19. The organizers last month announced the need to take this iconic event 100% virtual due to the lingering pandemic. Below are insights from Professor Edward Hill, Chief Executive, NOCS, as published in the "Oi 50th Anniversary Edition"…

#Oi2020 History

The ROV market continues to expand and grow rapidly throughout the 2000s, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing its pace. According to Advances in Marine Technology (as published by The Marine Technology Society), this exponential growth is “attributed to advances in technologies related to offshore oil and gas.” In addition, the book states that “As deepwater and ultra deepwater production stepped up…