Exail press release
Following the success of the Digital Horizon 22 Unmanned & Artificial Intelligence Exercise organized by the U.S. Navy in Bahrain, Exail Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), DriX, was selected by the 5th fleet’s task force 59 to take part in the two-week 2023 International Maritime Exercise (IMX 23), that will be held in Bahrain and Jordan from March 5th to 16th.
Middle East region’s largest naval exercise, IMX23 is a multinational event involving more than 50 partner-nations and international organizations operating in the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and East African coastal regions. The exercise will include 7,000 personnel, 35 ships and more than 30 unmanned and artificial intelligence systems, including Exail DriX USV.
As part of this exercise, the DriX USV – along with the industrial partners brought together by the unmanned task force TF59 – will operate in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Mine Countermeasures Missions (MCM) tactical environments. This exercise aims at evaluating the use of combined unmanned technologies for deployment by the inter-allied forces in the Gulf region.
“To be able to take part in such a major naval exercise, along with some of the industry’s best, is both a great honor and a recognition of the hard work the Exail teams put in the development of autonomous solutions, from the design of the platforms and their artificial intelligence, to the services we offer around their deployment.” Guillaume Eudeline, Exail’s Naval Autonomy Market Director said.
“We are now looking forward to the start of IMX23 this Sunday, and are confident that, together with all other partners, we will demonstrate the high potential that deploying unmanned solutions in the naval domain represents.”
Guillaume Eudeline, Exail’s Naval Autonomy Market Director
– End –
About DriX USV
With over 15,000 hours in operations around the world over the past three years, iXblue’s DriX USV, along with its proven launch and recovery system, is a seasoned asset in the environment of supervised autonomy.
DriX shape and stability allow for very high-speed capabilities (up to 14 knots), reducing transit downtime and providing high survey speeds with optimal data quality, harvested in a fraction of the usual times.
As far as endurance is concerned, DriX can sail for 7 days at 7 knots. At its top speed (14 knots), DriX can maintain continuous operations for 24 hours, while a speed of 4 knots will be required for a 10-day mission.
Able to conduct both remote-controlled and supervised autonomous operations (within visual range or Over The Horizon), DriX offers seakeeping and speed capabilities. It is a versatile and efficient USV that can host a wide range of payloads and that offers optimum conditions for high-quality data acquisition in both shallow and deep waters.
Specifications:
- Length: 7,710m
- Breadth: 0,824m
- Draft: 2m
- Displacement: 1,4 t
- Mono-hull material: carbon Kevlar-reinforced composite
- Weight: 1,380 kg
- Propulsion: 38HP Diesel engine
- Fuel capacity: 250L (consumption average: 2l/h)
- Drive: 1 straight shaft with 1 fix pitch propeller
