UAE to have unmanned vessel facility
The Addax Tower on Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island will provide the site for the country’s first facility for the testing, hiring and maintenance of unmanned vessels. To be known as The Quarterdeck, Janus Marine and Defense and partner Nexus Remote Solutions are planning to open the new facility in June.
The Remote Operations Center (ROC) will be available for small- to medium-sized companies, including start-ups, enabling them to develop unmanned surface vessel and unmanned underwater vessel technologies in the commercial and defence sectors, the companies said. The Quarterdeck will have soundproof pods with three individual operator consoles for simulations by pilots, technicians and payload operators.
Jack Dougherty, a former US Navy seafarer and owner of Janus Marine and Defense, commented: “Currently the UAE has three ROCs spanning the commercial and defence markets yet all three are privately owned and closed to external contractors. As a result The Quarterdeck will ‘fill a gap in the market’ giving private companies access to the same technology and facilities found in private ROCs.
“We’re very lucky in the UAE that the Government here wants to be a leader in vessel safety by encouraging faster innovation of unmanned vessels. So as part of our services at The Quarterdeck we’ll also be offering an integrated platform for real-time remote mission control, data analysis, and system maintenance,” he added.
Founder of UAE-headquartered Nexus Remote Solutions, John Woroniuk, said: “We’re open to small to medium-sized companies and surveyors who want to innovate USVs mainly in the oil and gas industry but also naval sector. The Quarterdeck is like an R&D centee where you can hire hi-tech equipment and undertake vessel trials … It is important to underline that our team has designed, produced, and operated uncrewed vessels all over the world. We understand the markets, the players and the technology. The Quarterdeck brings all that expertise together under one roof.”
