Revolutionizing Underwater Exploration: Navantia, SAES, and Perseo Join Forces on Next-Gen UUVs
Navantia, SAES, and Perseo have proclaimed during the FEINDEF (defense and security exhibition) their aspiration to create a series of unmanned underwater vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge sensors to implement exploration and surveillance functions in progressively challenging operational environments.
Navantia has initiated a strategic blueprint to integrate a variety of solutions revolving around unmanned vehicles (UXV) into its product offering, designed to encompass the full range of missions expected across diverse domains: naval, aerial, and terrestrial, where these platforms confer tactical advantages. This blueprint forms part of the company’s Horizon 5.0, a long-range initiative wherein Navantia seeks to fortify its systems business as a core component alongside ship construction, intelligent services, and sustainable energies.
In the submarine sector, SAES, a premier entity in underwater acoustics and electronics with nearly 35 years of expertise in crafting technologies in this arena, positions itself as one of the key national contributors in delivering tactical and mission capabilities to unmanned vehicles (UXVs) grounded in its knowledge of sonar technologies, underwater communications, and tactical concepts for assorted missions. SAES, whose core philosophy and strategy are encapsulated in its new slogan “innovate, develop, and protect,” approaches this sector from dual angles: partnering in their evolution to render them genuinely autonomous and employing them in synergy with other proprietary systems to offer submarine defense solutions within the scope of its business lines.
Perseo Techworks, a Spanish firm specializing in UXV technology, numerical simulation, onboard electronics, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing, IoT, and artificial intelligence, possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry, being involved in several European projects and national R&D+i initiatives.
SAES and Perseo, along with Abance Ingeniería y Servicios, Arisnova, and Eolos Floating Lidar Solutions, are contributors to the E-PARK+ initiative, spearheaded by Navantia, which aims to devise strategies for digitizing the operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms utilizing unmanned vehicles alongside various industry players.
At FEINDEF, a UUV prototype with unique characteristics capable of fulfilling a range of missions has been showcased. This initial iteration is centered on its deployment in mine countermeasure (MCM) operations, though its potential use as an advanced sensor or loitering munition is actively being evaluated based on the same development with minimal modifications. Donato Martínez Pérez de Rojas, Director of Technologies and Digital Transformation as well as Systems and Services at Navantia, Joaquín López Pagán, President and CEO of SAES, and Sergio Olmos Guío, CEO of Perseo Techworks, have conveyed their resolve to cooperate in fostering innovation in the realm of autonomous underwater vehicles. “Unmanned vehicles represent an asset of escalating importance for armed forces and civilian usages. Navantia already boasts experience in the development of unmanned surface vessels (USV), and together with SAES and Perseo, we aim to broaden our catalogue to include those designed for submarine purposes,” articulated Donato Martínez.
In the words of SAES President Joaquín López Pagán, “at SAES, we are dedicated to advancing sustainable technologies within the naval industry. Our expertise in underwater acoustics and electronics positions us as a significant player in providing autonomy to unmanned vehicles while collaborating in their development to ensure they are truly self-sufficient. Furthermore, given that they do not necessitate human crew members, these vehicles offer a safer and more cost-effective alternative for accomplishing defense missions and civilian operations.”
“The evolution of unmanned systems calls for specific technologies and working methodologies to secure competitive advancements. Perseo Techworks focuses on these enabling technologies within a workflow model that promotes rapid iterations, where simulation, swift prototyping, and testing capabilities converge to produce products with minimal development timelines and adaptable to a perpetually evolving market,” remarks Sergio Olmos Guío.
