Exail has been contracted to deliver a fleet of five DriX H-8 uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) for an undisclosed European nation.
The USV will be deployed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Initially developed for hydrographic missions, the DriX H-8 can host a wide range of payloads to enable the acquisition of high-quality data in both shallow and deep waters.
No further details on the deal have been provided by the French firm.
“We are honored by the trust placed in us by this European partner. This contract highlights the growing strategic need for unmanned maritime ISR capabilities, and we are proud that DriX has been selected to meet that challenge,” head of Exail Maritime Systems Business line Jérôme Bendell said.
“It is also a recognition of DriX’s maturity, reliability and operational impact. At Exail, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation in support of global maritime security.”
DriX H-8 USV
Capable of remote-controlled or supervised autonomous operation, the USV can function in sea state level 5.
The platform can sail at a speed of 14 knots (26 kilometers/16 miles per hour) for 24 hours and at 7 knots (13 kilometers/8 miles per hour) for 7 days.
It can execute a 10-day mission at a speed of 4 knots (7.4 kilometers/4.6 miles).
The 7.71-meter (25.29-feet) platform has a displacement of 1.4 tons (14,000 kg/30,800 lbs) and a draft of 2 meters (6.56 feet).
Powered by a 38HP Diesel engine, the USV has a fuel capacity of 250 liters (66 gallons) with a consumption average of 2 liters (0.5 gallons) per hour.
