Dutch MoD Partners With Commercial USV Firm To Map CUI

The Dutch Ministry of Defence has teamed up with USV specialist Fugro as it explores the best ways to map, monitor, and secure its North Sea critical undersea infrastructure (CUI).

As per a recent press statement from the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence, it has been collating data and images of critical infrastructure on the North Sea floor.

The statement noted: “The submarine internet and power cables and pipelines for oil and gas are almost daily targets for sabotage and espionage. Thanks to Fugro's work, Defence can monitor and protect this infrastructure more accurately.”

Dutch geomapping firm Fugro, establshed in 1962, has many years of experience with using uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). It provided its Orca platform, a USV designed by British firm SEA-KIT International.

As well as on-board sensors, the 12-metre USV was also fitted out with Fugro’s Blue Volta remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for close underwater inspections.

The project involved lots of other organisations including SEASec, the Dutch MoD’s Seabed Security Experimentation Centre; mine experts from the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Dutch Coast Guard, and the and the Northern Naval Capability Group, a co-operative body featuring representatives of six countries with coastlines on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

The press statement noted: “The project yielded a number of successful results and insights. For example, Defence not only obtained a detailed picture of part of the submarine infrastructure. The organisation also gained experience in having such an operation carried out by a civil party.”

• You can read more details on the Dutch MoD website