Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) has been contracted by DE&S’s Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Team to supply Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Systems for the UK Royal Navy (RN). The £32 million contract, includes delivery of three MHC AUV Systems comprising nine vehicles in total along with a comprehensive training and support package to run for three years from delivery.

Wesley Galliver, Head of Surface Ship Systems said: “We are very proud the advanced mine countermeasures technology that AEUK has invested in over the years is now being provided to the RN for their flagship Mine Counter Measures (MCM) operational evaluation programme. MCM is at the heart of our business and AEUK are delighted to enhance the RN’s autonomous systems capability.”

The MHC AUV System combines the Atlas Elektronik GmbH medium-sized Seacat AUV, fitted with the latest AEUK high resolution Vision Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) and the Seebyte Neptune and Military software for advanced planning and analysis. AEUK have worked with Lidan Marine to develop a remote AUV handling system for the MHC AUV project, providing a Launch and Recovery System (LARS) suitable for operation from platforms such as the RN’s ARCIMS USVs and SEA Class workboats.

This delivery to the MHC team will see AEUK providing another MCM toolbox element, alongside the in-service ARCIMS uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), with their advanced minesweeping payloads and towed minehunting sonars, enabled by AEUK’s Unmanned Vehicle (UxV) Autonomy software and sensors.

AEUK provides innovation for underwater systems for the Royal Navy. Operating from its headquarters at Winfrith in Dorset, AEUK has invested in its unique in-house test and integration facilities in order to support its growth in supply to UK and global markets of submarine and ship systems, including sonar, autonomous systems, marine electric actuation and mine counter-measures. It has waterside access in Portland Harbour that provides AEUK and its partners with ideal facilities to test systems at sea, particularly those from its autonomy portfolio. With over 500 employees, AEUK is the largest subsidiary in the Atlas Elektronik Group, part of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

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