Oceaneering to Provide Underwater Drone, Onshore Center for US Navy
Oceaneering International has accepted a “multi-million-dollar” deal to manufacture an autonomous sub-surface vehicle and build a mission hub for the US Navy.
The deal covers the Texas-based company’s proprietary Freedom underwater drone and Onshore Remote Operations Center (OROC).
Work for the contract will be facilitated by Oceanneering’s Subsea Robotics and Aerospace and Defense Technologies segments.
Development of the Freedom unmanned underwater system will be conducted at the company’s manufacturing site in Morgan City, Louisiana.
“This award allows us to deliver commercial technology driven by energy industry needs to the US Department of Defense to address subsea security needs,” Oceaneering Subsea Robotics Senior Director Peter Buchanan stated.
The Freedom System
Oceaneering’s Freedom is a 15-meter (49-foot) drone designed for wide inspection and data collection tasks requiring endurance-capable assets.
The vehicle is equipped with a camera, radio locator, acoustic solution, specialized lights, and sonar for effective deployments. It can be integrated with additional illuminance and sensor payloads for more demanding missions.