AEUK demos ARCIMS at Unmanned Warrior
After a short period of integration Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) are currently demonstrating the Northrop Grumman Corporation AQS-24B Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) as a part of the ARCIMS multi-role mission system at the Royal Navy's high tempo Unmanned Warrior exercise.
Taking place this month off the Welsh and Scottish coasts, Unmanned Warrior 2016 is the largest demonstration of its kind in the UK, bringing together AEUK and around 40 participants from the Ministry of Defence, industry and academia to show the full potential of unmanned systems in a realistic setting.
AEUK have already the delivered Royal Navy Motor Boat HAZARD which is a manned variant of the successful ARCIMS mission system to demonstrate the Launch and Recovery System (LARS) and Command and Control of unmanned systems at sea under controlled conditions.
The ARCIMS system is reconfigurable with modular payloads for MCM, Hydrography, Coastal ASW, Maritime Security, Force Protection and ISR. The ARCIMS USV can operate remotely, autonomously or as a manned vessel.
Kristien Rogers, ARCIMS Product Manager, has stated: “We are excited to be working with the Royal Navy and Northrop Grumman USA to demonstrate ARCIMS as an unmanned high speed mine hunting system. Within just four days of receiving the AQS-24B, the joint team
successfully installed the mission payload onto ARCIMS. We have completed the setting to work activities in Scotland following the successful sea tests at the AEUK Bincleaves waterside facility. We are now ready to participate in the Mine Hunting Challenge with our
first demonstrations scheduled for Thursday 13th October".
ARCIMS in-service systems include:
A portable unmanned minesweeping capability for the Royal Navy deployable from Mother Ships.
RNMB Hazard used by the Royal Navy Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (MASTT).
Two portable unmanned minesweeping Mission Systems supplied to a Middle East navy.
An ARCIMS USV supplied to WTD71 in Germany to evaluate unmanned systems technologies for MCM.
Two Mission Systems to an undisclosed customer.
AEUK operates from its Headquarters at Winfrith in Dorset, as well as its unique waterside test facilities at Bincleaves in Weymouth.