The trials demonstrated that the systems detected and classified underwater and surface threats, with an uptime averaging more than 96%.
Thales Australia has partnered with Saildrone to integrate its BlueSentry thin-line towed array sonar system with the Surveyor unmanned surface vessel . The collaboration aims to create a cutting-edge solution for autonomous and long-endurance undersea maritime domain awareness.
Saildrone’s USVs are purpose-built for missions including hydrographic surveys, offshore energy monitoring, and critical infrastructure protection.The tie-up with the defense giant follows successful sea trials off the coast of California, where Saildrone’s Surveyor USV—equipped with Thales’ BlueSentry sensor package—operated almost uninterrupted for 26 days.The trials, funded by the United States Office of Naval Research, demonstrated that the systems detected and classified underwater and surface threats, with an uptime averaging more than 96%.Silent detection, smarter surveillanceIn the context of underwater drones, “uptime” typically refers to the proportion of time the system remains operational and capable of carrying out its intended missions without interruption.The BlueSentry towed array, designed and manufactured at Thales’s Acoustics Centre of Excellence in Rydalmere, Australia, draws on more than 50 years of Australian investment in towed array development. It features advanced fiber optic and hydrophone technologies to detect, classify, and localize surface and sub-surface contacts.“The acoustic performance of the BlueSentry array, paired with a platform as silent and capable as the Saildrone Surveyor, represents a considerable step forward in undersea observation,” Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone, said in press statement.“The extreme endurance of the system allows us to put eyes and ears in places that were previously out of reach, at a cost point orders of magnitude below traditional manned surveillance platforms.”Together, the Saildrone-Thales system offers a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional surveillance platforms, capable of supporting persistent maritime monitoring without the logistical and financial burden of crewed operations.The company claimed in a press release that the trials showed that under wind propulsion, the Surveyor provided a near-zero self-noise environment, significantly improving the detection capabilities of the BlueSentry sonar system.Persistent ocean monitoringAccording to the Thales website, a fleet of USVs integrated with these sonar arrays is designed to operate for extended periods, autonomously patrol vast ocean areas, and reduce coverage costs.Saildrone USVs are capable of operating autonomously for months at a time, having logged over 46,000 days at sea and sailed more than 1.6 million nautical miles across some of the world’s most challenging waters.The companies further said that the collaboration would boost “naval interoperability” between the AUKUS partners – Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – delivering on the security partnership’s technology-focused Pillar 2 scope.“This partnership and ready-to-deploy capability set the standard for future intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance at sea, particularly in sensitive and remote regions that have significant operational challenges,” Jeff Connolly, CEO, Thales Australia and New Zealand, said.“The integration of Thales Australia’s BlueSentry onto Saildrone’s Surveyor-class, as a core component of its maritime domain awareness solution, paves the way for greater naval interoperability between AUKUS partners and delivers on AUKUS Pillar 2 undersea warfare requirements.”Saildrone and Thales Australia said they are ready to deploy these systems at scale, establishing a network of autonomous, self-sustaining surveillance assets to bolster national security.
Autonomous Systems Bluesentry Defense Partnership Maritime Surveillance Saildrone Sonar Technology Thales Australia Undersea Warfare Unmanned Surface Vessel
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