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Unmanned surface vessel demonstrated in UAE, another deployed offshore Africa
An unmanned surface vessel has mapped seabeds and subsea structures in Dubai to support offshore and maritime surveys, while another has begun work in Africa
OceanAlpha has developed unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for offshore and maritime surveys and demonstrated their abilities in the Middle East.
In its latest event, an L25 USV was put through its paces in Port Rashid, Dubai from 26-29 May to showcase its abilities for offshore and maritime subsea surveys. This event was supported by strategic partners SINO and Sitech Gulf and included dynamic demonstrations of autonomous navigation, sensor integration and real-time data collection.
OceanAlpha general manager Pinestone Shi said an L25 could be tailored with equipment for offshore energy, hydrographic and geophysical surveying, and to support smart-port development.
An L25 could operate offshore, as its twin diesel engines can be supported by additional fuel tanks for longer operational ranges and extended maritime missions.
During the trials, an L25 was equipped with a comprehensive suite of sensors and instruments including Teledyne Marine’s T20 multibeam sonar, EdgeTech Marine’s 4125 side-scan sonar, and Teledyne PDS software.
“The Middle East’s focus on energy infrastructure and smart port development aligns with our USV capabilities,” said Mr Shi. “By demonstrating how the L25 can enhance efficiency in tasks like pipeline inspection or coastal mapping, we aim to support the region’s vision for technologically driven maritime growth.”
With Trimble Centrepoint RTX signal correction, the USV achieved 4-cm positioning accuracy, which is sufficient for complex offshore oil and gas and marine survey requirements.
During dynamic trials, the L25 simultaneously executed seabed mapping, sediment analysis and underwater structure detection. Real-time data from these operations was streamed to an indoor remote-operations centre where attendees viewed synchronised displays of navigation paths, sonar scans, and seabed maps.
OceanAlpha also demonstrated an L25 uncrewed marine survey vessel and its capabilities in Malaysia this year.
It is also presenting its M75 uncrewed patrol vessel, SE40 uncrewed water sampling and Dolphin 3 intelligent remote-controlled lifebuoy monitoring vessel in the Middle East, trialling autonomous navigation and remote operation of an M75 in Qatar in December 2024.
In April 2025, OceanAlpha witnessed the first L42 USV enter service for offshore and hydrographic surveys offshore Africa. These USVs can be equipped with standard survey instruments including multibeam echosounder, towed side-scan sonar, towed magnetometer, sub-bottom profiler and positioning systems for hydrographic mapping, pipeline inspections and scientific research missions.
OceanAlpha said the first L42 vessel was delivered to an African surveying company in April 2025 after completing third-party acceptance testing, for offshore surveys and marine operations.
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