ECA Group delivers an Unmanned Expendable Mine Disposal System to a Southeast Asian navy

This navy, already renowned for its highly-specialization in the field of mine warfare, is switching from mine hunters (50 meters boats managed by a crew of 40 people) to a new unmanned system, controlled by only 3 people, allowing to cut operational costs and reduce significantly human risks.

This unmanned solution for MCM operations is the first completely automated underwater robot demining system, including EMDS (Expandable Mine Disposal System) which can be remotely piloted and use a highly secured dedicated link for neutralization sequence. This ECA Group system completes the Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) built by a partner company.

The USV is equipped with an inspection function using the K-STER I and a destruction oneusing K-STER C. All the vehicles are launched autonomously with an automated Launch and Recovery System (LARS), remotely piloted via a radio or satellite link.

Onshore, crew launches and pilots remotely from the Control & Command Center the inspection vehicle.

If a mine is found a Disposal vehicle KSTER C is deployed by a dedicated launching system, in order to destroy the mine.

This project is the result of more than 20 year’s partnership between Southeast Asian nations and ECA Group  and concluded with around 10 M€ contract back in 2015, the delivery of 2 complete systems in 2017 and expected service agreement in 2018.  Sea acceptance tests of the first system is scheduled for September 2017.

The training for maintenance and usage of this unmanned naval drones system has been conducted end of May on the in ECA premises in South of France.  

With this ECA Group advanced solution of Expendable Mine Disposal System (EMDS) for mine countermeasure (MCM) integrated on their Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV),  this navy reaches the mine warfare of the future!

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