Unmanned Systems Technology 006 | ECA Inspector Mk2 USV | Antenna systems | Northwest UAV NW-44 | Unmanned ground vehicles | Navigation systems | Lunar X challenge

23 delivered to an unnamed customer in late September 2015. Clavier divides the core USV capability into the boat, the onboard control system for manned operation and that portion of the remote control system integrated into the vessel, which does much more than control the boat, and its onboard sensors and effectors. (The company also sells these separately for integration into other boats.) The equipment also controls the other robotic systems that the Inspector Mk2 has been designed to deploy, including the company’s own K-Ster expendable mine-hunting vehicle family and small AUVs, and to operate with these and other systems (including UAVs) collaboratively, putting a great deal of weight on the development of software to enable these capabilities. The boat As a boat, the Inspector Mk2 is a shallow-draft rigid monohull with distinctive chines that curve up from the waterline beside the cockpit all the way to the bow, a flat, overhanging stern and a full-length fender along either side. Measuring 9 m in length by 2.95 m in beam and with a 0.5 m draught in transport configuration, the Inspector Mk2 was designed for an endurance of more than 12 hours at 10 knots, but with the ability to sprint at more than 35 knots and operate in weather conditions up to sea state 4, survive in sea state 5 and keep station accurately at speeds between zero and 25 knots. With an all-up weight of 4700 kg, it offers a payload of 1000 kg. The initial Inspector Mk2s are powered by a pair of Steyr diesel engines, although alternative power plants consisting of two engines of between 170 and 215 kW each can be accommodated with minimal modification using a set of adapters without affecting anything aft of the engine compartment. The diesels drive Doen DJ 100 G water jets which, unlike bare propellers, work through an impeller in a tube, creating a jet of water for propulsion. ECA Inspector Mk2 USV | Dossier Peter Donaldson reports on how this unmanned surface craft forms the core of a selection of systems for a host of marine missions family Unmanned Systems Technology | February/March 2016 The Inspector Mk2 goes through the ‘hump’ between displacement running and planing as it accelerates