Innovative Testing of the Otter Pro USV by the British royal navy

The Project Hecla team of the British Royal Navy has been conducting trials of the Otter Pro Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) at the Defense Diving School located on Horsea Island in Portsmouth.

Advanced Capabilities of the Otter Pro

Engineered by Maritime Robotics in Norway and distributed by RS aqua in the U.K., the Otter Pro is designed for rapid surveys of unexplored aquatic areas, facilitating data collection for future underwater exploration. Equipped with an array of sensors, this vessel efficiently gathers facts about the water and the seabed, including objects submerged beneath the surface.

Notable Performance During Trials

In its testing phase, the Otter Pro successfully captured sonar images of various wrecks, providing critical insights into the deterioration and structural failures of a sunken day cruiser, a motorboat, and a helicopter. Additionally, its sensors detected swim lines and erosion of the seabed attributed too diving activities.

In its inaugural hour on the water, the vessel, operated by skilled Royal Navy personnel, managed to survey an area equivalent to a football field.

Commander Insights on Operational Efficiency

“While the Otter Pro is being utilized to help Project Hecla refine future operational strategies for uncrewed surface vehicles in military surveying, it has already shown itself to outperform existing portable systems,” stated Commander Graham Mimpriss, the Royal Navy’s lead for the trials.

“In a rapid response scenario, this vehicle was deployed within an hour of its arrival, having been transported in a van. The team conducted a survey of Horsea Lake, covering 7,000 square meters in just 40 minutes, and produced actionable data within an hour. This was accomplished by a three-person team without the need for a boat or jetty for launching or recovery.”

“During the survey,two team members operated as pilot and lookout,while the third processed data in near real-time. Our current platforms would struggle to achieve this level of performance in a rapid response situation.”

Future Testing and Developments

The next phase of the trials will involve testing the Otter Pro in more intricate environments, focusing on enhancing its near-real-time data processing capabilities. The Project Hecla team will also delve deeper into the boat’s Norbit multi-beam echo sounder and other sonar technologies.

“This initial trial has begun to showcase the advantages of uncrewed surface vehicles for surveying and has underscored the necessary adjustments the Royal Navy must consider regarding training, personnel deployment, and logistics to fully leverage offboard technologies,” concluded Commander Mimpriss.

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