(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A UAE-based company is set to unveil a futuristic-looking unmanned boat that will become the first privately produced vehicle of its kind in the GCC.
The seven-metre long B-7 Unmanned Surface Vessel " or USV " can be used for a wide array of purposes, ranging from surveying the ocean floor, military surveillance and reconnaissance missions or towing sonar systems. The B-7 will make its public debut next week at the International Defence Exhibition (Idex) in Abu Dhabi.
Basel Shuhaiber, founder of Al Marakeb boat manufacturing company, told Khaleej Times that it occurred to the design team early on that the design could be easily re-tasked for military applications. 'Our first idea was to survey the ocean floor to find things on the seabed,' he explained. 'Once we arrived at the concept of removing people from on board, we came to a realisation.' 'There are many reasons the military would want to remove people from vehicles, and cut the long hours they would be on board.' The B-7 can reach a top speed of 40 knots and comes equipped with a variety of sensors, an advanced autopilot system and a sophisticated on-board camera, which can transmit images to aircraft or the vehicle's pilot.
Shuhaiber explained that the B-7 can be theoretically controlled from anywhere. 'The control station can be on land or on another vessel,' he said. 'It can be anywhere in the world. The only thing that would change is the connections used between the control station and the vessel.'
The B-7 can operate in waves up to two metres tall, and its on-board camera comes equipped with high-tech geo-locking technology that allows it to focus on a certain point even during inclement weather, or during high-speed manoeuvres.
'No matter what you do with the boat, the camera will be locked,' Shuhaiber said. 'You can turn the boat left or right, there can be waves, and the camera will keep looking at that point until you tell it not to.'
Shuhaiber proudly noted that the B-7 was designed and produced entirely in Sharjah. 'We're a local company. This was produced, from A to Z, in the UAE.'
Al Marakeb said that orders for the vessel have already been taken, but declined to give more details. Unmanned maritime systems (UMS) are increasingly in demand worldwide as defence budgets and personnel numbers become smaller. One study, by Market Info Group, estimates that the global UMS market will be worth $11 billion by 2020.
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