Bluefin Delivers Ship Hull Inspection Systems to U.S. Navy
EOD HULS MK19 Systems 4 and 5 vehicles. Photo: Bluefin Robotics.
Bluefin Robotics delivered its fourth and fifth ship hull inspection systems to the U.S. Navy that will improve capabilities to remotely search ship hulls, harbor seafloors and other underwater infrastructure for limpet mines, improvised explosive devices or other objects.
“Although it looks like a remotely operated vehicle with its six thrusters and its fiber optic data tether, the vehicle is powered by an onboard battery and operates primarily autonomously with the ability for the operator to take manual control to investigate contacts,” says Bluefin Director of Inspection Systems Jerome Vaganay.
The systems were developed under the Navy’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Hull Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Localization Support Program and are referred to as MK19. Each MK19 system includes two Bluefin Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and support equipment.
“The MK19 vehicle operates by hull-relative navigation and control and provides very detailed acoustic images of a ship hull with 100 percent sonar coverage, without prior knowledge about the ship,” says Vaganay.
