The Hammerhead USV-T (Unmanned Surface Vehicle Target) is a remote-controlled, high-speed seaborne target drone used for naval training. The craft is built and produced by Meggitt Training Systems in cooperation with A. F. Theriault & Son Ltd and approximately 80 other companies that produce innards and accessories of the boats. The Hammerhead USV-T is used for tactical training scenarios at sea.
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Production
In 2010 Meggitt achieved a world first by successful demonstrating to the International Naval Community to be able to control 16 of their Hammerheads for a period of 7 hours. During this time many of the useful applications and equipment designed into the Hammerhead were demonstrated. Since 2010 over 190 units have been sold to Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, United States, and Germany. Meggitt Training Systems has recently been ranked second as Canada’s leading defense company.
Specifications
The boats hull measures 17’ in length and weighs 900 kg. It is equipped with a 3.0L four cylinder engine, capable of propelling it up to 40 knots at sea. The fuel capacity is 189 liters and the boat has an endurance of up to 24 hours at speeds below 20 knots. The Hammerhead can be equipped with smoke, flags, strobe lights, naval navigational lights, flares, and forward looking IR signatures, radar and forward looking video. The equipments are controlled by a UTCS (Universal Target Control System) at a single data half-duplex frequency, allowing them to communicate with up to 16 vehicles on currently. One person can be capable guiding and controlling 4 Hammerhead boats simultaneously, and the craft can also be pre-programmed.
Current Use
They are being built and designed to replicate the fast inshore attack crafts typically traveling in swarms that are being utilized in some highly unstable regions of the world. They are cost effective as one does not need to man them and they also do not need many physical attributes boats of its caliber would need to be equipped with in order to function similarly. This specific model is used to test the defenses of a ship or be a target / target tow vehicle.