Unmanned underwater vehicles

Description

The contracting authority wants to purchase remote control vessels for improvement and streamlining of data harvesting along the coast and in coastal waters. The need for such data has increased significantly in the last couple of decades and this need cannot be completely satisfied by traditional research vessels. The procurement consists of three parts that must be considered in context and consists of two (2) autonomous submarines (AUV), one (1) remote control surface vessel *USV) and a data system for management of the vessels and processing and transmission of data from the craft to the Norwegian Marine Data Centre. The contracting authority will have the option to purchase one (1) additional remote control surface vessel (USV). The vessels procured will be considered an extension of the contracting authority's vessel range. For simple facilitation of training and operative operation it is considered important that an integrated solution is offered for the entire delivery. Click here https://permalink.mercell.com/138674313.aspx This is a system procurement where all vessels should be able to be operated simultaneously through the use of the same software/operator station. This applies to both training and maintenance, and operatively if the vessels are monitored at the same time, for example, from a mother vessel. All vessels must be programmable to follow set trace of course. Sensors should be able to be remote controlled during operation. This also applies to submarine vessels. All vessels must be equipped with tested sensors of high accuracy. Published requirements and standards for the contracting authority's data harvesting for quota advice and mapping must be followed. All of the vessels must be able to support seamless data flow from sensors in the vessel to the Norwegian Marine Data Centre (www.nmdc.no). The platforms should be able to cover the contracting authority's new needs in the future. It is therefore particularly important that the USV platform is flexible with the possibility of retrofitting and/or swapping of sensors. It is particularly desirable that acoustics for biomass measurements can be swapped out with multi-beam sonar and sub bottom profiles for mapping of the seabed, or with equipment for communication with AUV for better positioning. AUV will be an integrated platform for mapping and environmental investigations with tested sensors. For mapping of topography, sediments and benthos, AUV must have Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) and multi-beam sonar for high resolution mapping of the seabed and fauna and seabed-penetrating sonar (sub-bottom profiles) for mapping of sediments. In addition to acoustics, high resolution colour camera with lighting is an important sensor for mapping of fauna. CTD for oceanography measurements (conductivity, temperature and depth) are also a requirement. One of the contracting authority's primary assignments is to monitor marine ecosystems and give advice about the determination of biomass extraction. In addition, the contracting authority has increased activity of interdisciplinary seabed mapping. For many decades, the contracting authority has developed both methods and in part, instruments for fishing acoustics, measurements and and seabed mapping. It is therefore important that these specifications are followed. To improve the performance of these sensors, they will be mounted on the USVs in a replaceable modular gondola or drop keel in order to avoid bubble layers close to the hull as much as possible. This will also increase the contracting authority's possibility of varying the selection of sensors, and vary between set-ups for fishing acoustic measurements and seabed mapping. The contracting authority also has comprehensive and increased activity connected to interdisciplinary seabed mapping. Both of the AUVs and USVs must be able to operate together with research vessels for seabed mapping. The AUVs must be delivered with sensors adapted to this, and the USVs are therefore required to be delivered with a modular solution with sensors for seabed mapping. The supplier must be able to assist the contracting authority with a more specific response time in central harbours for the contracting authority including Bergen, Ålesund, Bodø, Arendal and Tromsø. The contest will be held in two stages, where stage 1 is a qualification phase and stage 2 is the tender phase. The tender form is discussed in more detailed in point 4.2. See the tender information in Mercell for further information.