During the exhibition held earlier this month in Paris, SeaOwl displayed two solutions which drew out our attention. The first one: a range of USV dubbed SEAORCA and SEAHORNET from 7 up to 15-meters long conceived for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), facility protection such as harbour or other high value unit, and search and rescue (SAR). The second one, more than a standalone USV, the French company offers maritime training service focused on asymmetric threats – a solution dubbed TRACUS.
SeaOwl is not new in the domain of USVs as they already produced some in the civilian sector such as for the protection of offshore oil platforms, but the range introduced during Euronaval is their first for military applications. SeaOwl cooperated with different hull builders such as Zodiac Milpro, Anytec, or Ufast and is in charge to turn them into drones and to deliver them as “customized USV”.
According to a representative from SeaOwl, the USVs can be completely customized according to the customers’ needs and thus no standard payload is fitted, except that for now, the applications remain for the ones mentioned above. The plus compared to the civilian range, the protection of communication is different to be at military standard, GNSS is reinforced, the concept of ‘GNSS-denied’ is taken into account and the payload capability is of course different. Capable to last for at least 1 week at sea in a “standard mission pattern” – depending on the version once again – the USVs are fitted with a full autonomous and real-time mission re-planning thanks to their VMAS (vessel monitoring & alert system) and their automated mission management module. VMAS allows to get real-time maritime situation awareness in order the USV to automatically adapt its trajectories and behavior. The management module focuses on the sub-systems, sensors and payload monitoring, functioning and control. The 7-meter USVs can be fitted within a mission bay of a frigate by folding their mast and be deployed via the LARS system.
“We offer some solutions of hull, but we can adapt according to customer’s needs. We buy the hull and dronise it to deliver a customized solution depending on applications requested by the end-user. That’s why we have no standard type USV. Multiple designs and payloads are possible”. SeaOwl’s reprensetative.
Regarding future applications, more turned towards combat and offensive purpose, SeaOwl already think about it. Indeed, payloads with 7.62mm, 12.7mm remote-control weapon systems, medium-range missiles are already offered.
About TRACUS, SeaOwl has conceived a full service solution including target USVs. Coming from a French Navy’s request to be able to train against asymmetric threats such as alone kamikaze drone, drones swarm etc. the French company transformed old hull of jet-skis to transform them in low-profile USVs. Already tested during French Navy’s WILDFIRE exercise – a counter-UxV operational training exercise – SeaOwl wrote scenario to train the sailors to face USV swarm threats. The training USV displayed at Euronaval 2024 was used in the exercise and was showing 12.7mm caliber impacts…
“We had a pretty interesting mandate from the French Navy which were to push as far as we could the attack to put in default the sailors in order them to progress. The subject was not to destroy the Navy’s asset at all costs of course, but to lead them in a process of progress, to make them think about how they could stop this type of threat and to increase their level of stress as much as possible.” SeaOwl’s representative.
TRACUS consists of a swarm of 5 to 20 disposable USVs which simulate coordinated attacks on civilian or military assets. SeaOwl affirms they can adapt to any scenario and offer multiple patterns according to Navys’ doctrines. During exercise, data can be retrieved such video, audio, telemetry for debriefing.
