Ongoing trials of the Royal Navy’s new ScanFish sensing package have been continuing with its first in-water trials off the U.K. coast.
The towed sensor package, which includes hydrological sensors, electro-optical cameras, and side and bottom-scanning sonars, was tested for the first time earlier this year aboard RV Aurora off Aarhus in Denmark.
This time Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Proteus has been the vessel putting the RN’s new sensing kit through its paces during two weeks of testing off the English coastline near Portland, Dorset.
The ScanFish towed vehicle can work at depths of up to 1,000 metres and is deployed from standard shipping container via a self-contained bespoke launch and recovery system (LARS).
It’s being operated by a team from the Royal Navy’s Hydrographic Exploitation Group (HXG) based out of HMNB Devonport in Devon.
HXG Lieutenant Liam Speed said of the test programme: “The Proteus crew were excellent hosts and supported the embarkation every step of the way,” and adding “The data collected by the Scanfish will be processed by the team and then sent to the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office for assessment.”
As per an RN press statement further trials of ScanFish are planned, both aboard RFA Proteus and other Navy vessels, ahead of deployment on future front-line operations.
- You can read more details on the Royal Navy website