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| Science & Technology |
| Unmanned patrol boat to debut at IDEX |
| 2007-02-23 |
| A swimming robotic watchdog that can keep an eye on harbors and shipping lanes will be unveiled next week at the IDEX 2007 weaponry show in the Abu Dhabi. The Interceptor Unmanned Surface Vessel, or USV, is the creation of AAI Corporation and Marine Robotic Vessels. It is designed to keep up a constant patrol of the waters in seaports, around offshore oilrigs and in sensitive shipping lanes. Protecting ships, energy platforms and harbor facilities have become high priorities since Sept. 11, 2001, and the earlier attack on the U.S. destroyer USS Cole. The companies said in a news release the USV could also be used to monitor waters where pirates tend to operate. Port security in the United States by and large rests with Coast Guard and local law enforcement, although the Navy has a long-running project to train dolphins with ferret out interloping frogmen. The companies said their decision to debut the Interceptor at IDEX was not coincidence since the location in the United Arab Emirates is in the Persian Gulf from where more than half of the world's oil is carried from. Details about the Interceptor's specifications hadn't been released Friday. However the companies said in a news release that the versatile USV could be fitted with a number of different sensors, including vide cameras and radiation detectors. "A fleet of small harbor vessels outfitted with sensors and detection systems and linked to land-based computers could provide accurate data --even down to whether arriving ships are carrying human cargos or perhaps, any radioactive materials," the release said. "The applications now range from simple navigation and photography or data collection to future platforms for quick disaster response and weapons platforms." |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #2 Ideal for USS Cole type attacks. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2007-02-23 22:40 |
| #1 A fleet of small harbor vessels outfitted with sensors and detection systems and linked to land-based computers could provide accurate data --even down to whether arriving ships are carrying human cargos or perhaps, any radioactive materials," the release said. "The applications now range from simple navigation and photography or data collection to future platforms for quick disaster response and weapons platforms." waiting for the robotic nano vershun armed with miniaturized nuclear weapons. |
| Posted by: RD 2007-02-23 19:32 |