Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. Yet when most people think of national defense, they picture ground or air-based systems.
While land remains the primary theater for conflict, the vastness of the world’s oceans offers adversaries ample opportunity to gain an edge. That’s where the Mission Specialist Defender, our weapon of the week, comes in.
What is the Mission Specialist Defender?
Built by VideoRay, a company owned by BlueHalo, the Defender is the U.S. Navy’s program of record for next-generation explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) response. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) also supports mobile diving operations, salvage missions and maritime security.
“If you think in terms of find, fix and finish — first you locate something underwater, then identify it,” said Eric Wirston, vice president of sales and business development at VideoRay. “Is it a lobster pot or a mine? The Defender uses sonar and video to map the seafloor and determine what’s there. Then you geo-reference it — that’s the ‘fix.’ Finally, you ‘finish’ the mission, whether that means sending a diver or deploying a kinetic tool to neutralize the threat.”
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What makes the Defender unique?
The Defender can operate using a ship’s power or two different battery configurations. Wirston said the system’s intuitive controls are a major selling point.
“We designed it with user functionality in mind,” he said. “If you can use an iPhone, you can operate the Defender. The interface is intuitive because we know sailors have multiple responsibilities. They shouldn’t need a Ph.D. in marine robotics to use this tool.”
The Defender is also built for easy maintenance. Its modular design allows for quick repairs with minimal tools and downtime.
“If something fails, a few mechanical fasteners, an electrical connector and a quick sync with an app gets it back in the water,” Wirston said.
The Defender supports a wide range of underwater missions, with a normal operating depth of 1,000 feet but the ability to handle waters as deep as 3,200 feet. Wirston said the platform has integrated more than 500 applications, including sensors, software and kinetic effectors.
“If there’s an underwater use case, we likely have a solution,” he said. “We focus on the platform and make it easy for partners to integrate their systems.”
The Defender’s proven track record likely helped secure its place in the Navy’s arsenal. The British and Australian navies have used the ROV since 2017.
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