The Dutch Navy is testing USV90 surface drones for mine clearance
Kyiv • UNN
The Netherlands is testing 9-meter USV90 surface drones for transportation and reconnaissance. They can carry smaller drones for mine detection, allowing the crew to stay at a safe distance.
The Dutch Navy has begun testing USV90 surface drones. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
Details
“The Royal Navy is actively testing the first surface drone. The USV90 (Unmanned Surface Vehicle 90) is a 9-meter drone that can be used on water. It can transport cargo and people, as well as conduct reconnaissance,” the statement said.
It is noted that the USV90 functions as a kind of water taxi. It can also be used to transport other smaller (underwater) drones.
The first tests will be conducted by underwater demining specialists. According to the Ministry of Defense, the USV90 can be used to transport smaller unmanned vehicles from the base to the area of the suspected location of mines or explosives for disposal. The crew of the ship acting as a base will be able to stay at a safe distance.
Initially, the tests will be conducted with the crew on board. The USV90 will then be remotely controlled and deployed in unmanned mode. In the long term, it is planned to switch them to a fully autonomous mode. The project is being implemented jointly with Belgium.
“The threat of sea mines remains relevant. They are relatively cheap to produce and easy to install, for example, to blockade seaports. In addition, there are still many mines on the seabed from the Second World War. It is estimated that tens of thousands of mines still remain in the North Sea alone. They still pose a danger. It has even cost the lives of several fishermen after a dangerous discovery got into their nets,” the report says.
As reported by Ukrinform, in July, the Dutch Defense Minister visited a Ukrainian drone manufacturing company.
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