Reach Subsea expands unmanned service vessel fleet

Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to provide two further unmanned service vessels (USVs) to Reach Subsea.

All will be based on Kongsberg Maritime’s UT5208 design, a 24-m-long vessel for remote and autonomous offshore operations.

Earlier the company, it delivered the REACH REMOTE 1 and 2 USVs, with the first vessel recently conducting fully remote-controlled deployments offshore Norway.

Kongsberg Maritime has subcontracted construction of the two latest USVs to a shipyard, subject to design, supply chain management, systems integration, commissioning and final delivery.

Reach Subsea holds options for additional vessels under its REACH REMOTE program.

Kongsberg Maritime’s scope of supply includes the vessels’ automation and navigation systems, situation awareness solutions, maneuvering and thruster control, low-voltage switchboards, energy storage modules, and equipment for ROV and hydrographic operations.

It is also responsible for ship design and engineering, project management, and telecom systems including ship-to-shore connectivity.

Massterly, the company’s joint venture with Wilhelmsen, will manage the remote navigation and vessel deployments from remote vessel operations centers.

Reach Subsea will manage subsea mission execution, including remote control of ROVs, data collection and processing, with operations supported by a remote architecture co-developed with clients that integrates ocean robotics technologies.