Denmark's armed forces have launched a three-month operational trial of four 10-meter uncrewed robotic sailboats, 'Voyagers,' built by Saildrone. These wind and solar-powered vessels are designed for surveillance and will patrol Danish and NATO waters in the Baltic and North Seas, where maritime tensions are high due to suspected sabotage and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The trial aims to boost surveillance capacity, particularly around critical undersea infrastructure like fiber-optic cables and power lines, and combat illegal activities such as fishing and smuggling.
Denmark tests unmanned robotic sailboat fleet with tensions high in the region
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Denmark's armed forces have launched a three-month operational trial of four 10-meter uncrewed robotic sailboats, 'Voyagers,' built by Saildrone. These wind and solar-powered vessels are designed for surveillance and will patrol Danish and NATO waters in the Baltic and North Seas, where maritime tensions are high due to suspected sabotage and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The trial aims to boost surveillance capacity, particularly around critical undersea infrastructure like fiber-optic cables and power lines, and combat illegal activities such as fishing and smuggling.
Trending- 1 Feb. 24, 2022: Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
- 2 2022: Nord Stream pipeline explosions
- 3 Since late 2023: Rupture of at least 11 undersea cables
- 4 December (last year): The vessel Eagle S seized by Finnish police for allegedly damaging a power cable
- 5 January (recently): Fiber-optic link between Latvia and Sweden's Gotland island severed
- 6 June 6: Two Voyagers joined a NATO patrol
- 7 Monday (recently): Two Voyagers launched from Koge Marina for a three-month operational trial
- Increased surveillance of critical maritime infrastructure
- Potential for more efficient and cost-effective monitoring of threats
- Reinforces NATO's layered maritime surveillance system
What: Denmark's armed forces are conducting a three-month operational trial of a fleet of uncrewed robotic sailboats ('Voyagers') for maritime surveillance.
When: Two Voyagers launched Monday (recently); two others joined a NATO patrol on June 6. The trial is for three months. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022. Nord Stream pipeline explosions occurred in 2022. Undersea cables have ruptured since late 2023, with the most recent incident in January.
Where: Koge Marina, Denmark; Danish and NATO waters in the Baltic Sea and North Sea.
Why: To boost surveillance capacity in under-monitored waters, especially around critical undersea infrastructure, due to high maritime tensions, suspected sabotage, and illegal activities.
How: By deploying four Saildrone 'Voyagers' equipped with advanced sensors (radar, infrared and optical cameras, sonar, acoustic monitoring) that operate autonomously using wind and solar energy.