Recap of the first edition of the 2024 Dronathlon, organized by the French Navy (CEPN) and the DGA – Directorate General of Armaments, in collaboration with the Defense Innovation Agency, from October 7 to 11. This unique event brought together 35 companies to test drone solutions in realistic, multi-environment scenarios.
Marine Tech participated in two exercises as part of two consortia :
Poséidrones with SEABER (leader), Hologarde, and HEXADRONE.
Amphi D with Thales (leader), DRONE ACT, and PILGRIM TECHNOLOGY.
In the first scenario, the RSV Sea Observer was equipped with a USBL beacon to track and geolocate two SEABER AUVs in real time. Their mission was to map a coastal area and detect underwater targets (such as mines). Despite stormy conditions, the operation was a success.
An aerial drone (the Tundra 2 from HEXADRONE) complemented the setup by flying over a terrestrial zone to identify events (objects and ground troops). The real-time feedback demonstrated the value of these advanced technologies for the Navy.
A few days later, the second scenario involved deploying the surface drone RSV, this time equipped with an underwater deployment system for a FLASH IG sonar (provided by Thales) for submarine detection and monitoring.
As highlighted by the magazine Le Marin, ‘the sailors were full of praise for this craft that withstood the storm and thunder,’ our two scenarios were successfully carried out and validated in harsh weather conditions, with winds reaching 100 km/h and two-meter swells, allowing us to determine the operational limits of the various systems.
These operations provided a valuable opportunity to assess the drones’ performance and better understand operational needs in this complex environment.
We would like to thank all participants, as well as our partners, for this enriching experience.
