Forcys highlights Equinox, a remotely operated towed vehicle developed by the company’s technology partners to improve the detection and localization of mine-like objects through the integration of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) systems from existing product portfolios.
Navies are increasingly seeking uncrewed technologies to replace or enhance Mine Countermeasures (MCM) fleets while supporting safe and effective operations. The deployment of multiple smaller uncrewed platforms also offers the potential for increased area coverage during mine-hunting missions. However, many existing solutions remain bespoke, difficult to operate, and complex to support.
Equinox was developed through a collaborative integration effort using established COTS technologies. Wavefront Systems supplied the Solstice multi-aperture sonar, which was designed specifically for mine-hunting operations in littoral environments. The sonar was mounted on EIVA’s ScanFish 3D system, a stable remotely operated towed vehicle capable of following the seabed at a known altitude.
The integrated configuration delivers sonar imagery typically associated with Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). Sonardyne’s SPRINT inertial navigation system and Mini-Ranger 2 USBL were incorporated to ensure accurate localization of mine-like contacts during operations.
Mission planning, survey monitoring, data fusion, and processing functions were handled through EIVA’s NaviSuite Kuda software suite. The software also provides an over-the-horizon control interface. During operations, contacts can be processed in real time and used to inform subsequent mission stages while the survey remains underway.
Equinox sea trials
Extensive sea trials were conducted to evaluate detection performance and navigational accuracy. Testing demonstrated that Equinox was capable of detecting mine-like objects across a 200-meter swath while operating at speeds exceeding six knots. This resulted in an effective area coverage rate of 1.6 km² per hour, including overlap between survey lines required to ensure full coverage.
Equinox delivers high resolution imagery and class-leading positioning
Positioning accuracy during the trials achieved better than one meter DRMS absolute positioning performance. The results represented an improvement over conventional side-scan sonar systems and closely approached the performance typically associated with synthetic aperture sonar technologies that require more complex logistics.
The use of field-proven COTS technologies provides a significant operational advantage for Equinox. The individual system components are field proven through thousands of mobilizations, contributing to a low-logistics operational footprint and simplified mobilization requirements. Maintenance demands are minimized through the use of established hardware platforms, while operator familiarity is supported by existing training courses and a large community of existing users.
