L3 ASV has delivered a long-endurance autonomous vessel known as the C-Enduro to the Royal Navy.

According to L3 ASV, the vessel will be used for military data gathering trials by the Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic Capability (MHC) program, as the Navy looks to utilize autonomous technology.

“We are proud to support the Royal Navy in their plans to explore the uses of marine autonomy as they continue to invest in new and exciting technology,” says Vince Dobbin, sales and marketing director for L3 ASV.

“This vessel is an evolution of our existing C-Enduro product range and provides the unique capability to collect a variety of data during any one mission over extended periods.”

Equipped with 10 sensors that combine scientific and hydrographic survey equipment, the C-Enduro autonomous vessel operates using ASView, which is L3 ASV’s proprietary control system that enables a wide variety of autonomous control modes, including line following, station-keeping and geofencing.

Additionally, the vessel is fitted with L3 ASV’s advanced autonomy package, which helps ensure situational awareness and smart path planning.

“The different ways in which the C-Enduro can be operated will allow the Navy to test and develop the ability of an autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) to effectively gather important hydrographic data and potentially form part of a future capability to be delivered by the MHC program,” comments Alex du Pre, MHC team lead at Defence Equipment and Support.

For L3 ASV, this project is the fourth delivery of a C-Enduro vessel. The company says that previous successful missions include an 11-day over-the-horizon marine science mission north of Scotland for the National Oceanography Centre.