A new type of small survey craft that will improve the Royal Australian Navy’s geospatial survey capabilities has been launched from HMAS Adelaide for the first time. The Polaris is part of a range of new equipment delivered to the Maritime Geospatial Warfare Unit.
The new equipment, which also includes a Fly Away Survey Kit and the Remus 100S Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, aims to modernise the collection and processing of geospatial data by Navy hydrographers. The 9.5 metre vessel, built by Australian company Yamba Welding & Engineering (YWE) for Leidos Australia who delivered the survey craft in late 2019 as a key component of the SEA 1770 project. YWE was recently acquired and now part of The Whiskey Project Group.