A navy has selected Exail's high-performance, military-grade Marins inertial navigation systems (INS) to equip its complete fleet of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
As navies integrate more USVs into their fleets to extend their operational reach, reduce crew exposure and maintain a persistent presence at sea, they face a fundamental challenge: enabling these platforms to navigate reliably without an onboard crew.
Autonomous operations depend on navigation information that remains accurate, available and trusted throughout the mission, enabling vessels to operate safely and effectively without continuous human oversight. This requirement becomes even more critical in contested environments, where GNSS signals may be degraded, jammed or spoofed.
Selected to address these requirements, Exail's Marins INS will provide precise position, heading, attitude and velocity data, delivering the reliable navigation information required for autonomous operations while supporting mission continuity when satellite signals are disrupted.
According to Exail, it has already been proven aboard defence surface vessels, submarines and UUVs, Exail's Marins Series bring established naval navigation capabilities to this new generation of uncrewed platforms.
“Navies are moving towards fleets where crewed and uncrewed vessels operate alongside one another. But deploying USVs at scale requires more than autonomous platforms: it requires trusted navigation technologies capable of meeting demanding defense requirements,” CCO at Exail, Jean-Marc Binois, said.
“Our strength lies in combining proven defense navigation technologies with first-hand experience of designing and integrating autonomous maritime systems. This dual expertise gives us a unique understanding of the navigation challenges facing uncrewed platforms, positioning Exail to meet the evolving needs of defense USV fleets.”
Based on Exail's Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology, Marins navigation systems are deployed across surface vessels and submarines operated by more than 50 navies worldwide, the company claims.
Exail also claims that its navigation technologies also equip 80 per cent of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), operating in environments where GNSS signals are unavailable.