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Unmanned Surface Vessels R ecently, Swiftships Shipbuild- ers, LLC, in Morgan City, La., showcased the Anaconda-2 – an unmanned, 35-ft. craft in development – during a demonstration on the Atcha- falaya River next to its HQ. The com- pany partnered with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) more than a year ago to produce technology for a vessel that can navigate without a pilot aboard. Swiftships and ULL are design- ing a boat that uses Global Positioning System/sensory data, and has the poten- tial to support naval, enforcement and zone-protection operations, mainly on inland waters. AN-2 Based on Earlier Vessel “Anaconda-2 or AN-2 is the second iteration of the original Anaconda built by Swiftships in 2001,” said Shehraze Shah, CEO, Swiftships. The diesel-pow- ered, modifi ed V hull form, all-alumi- num Anaconda is a Swift Autonomous Vessel with twin water jet propulsions. The Anaconda can reach 50-plus knots and is designed to operate in Beaufort sea state two, or small wavelets, and can survive in sea state four – small waves with fairly frequent whitecaps. “The SAV offers enhanced surveil- lance and reconnaissance, identifi ca- tion and interception capabilities,” said Shah. “For more than eight hours at a time, it can perform force-protection du- ties, required by state and local authori- ties, coast guards and special operation commands, including the navies of the world.” The SAV uses commercial, off- the-shelf technology, making it easier for overseas clients to adopt the craft, he said. Swiftships & CajunBot The U.S. military, meanwhile, contin- ues to adopt unmanned technology. In 2001, Congress mandated that one-third of all ground vehicles in the U.S. Armed Forces be replaced with robotic vehicles by 2015. With an eye to that mandate, Swiftships paid attention to ULL’s suc- cess with CajunBot, an all-terrain ve- hicle with autonomous piloting. A ULL computer engineering team, led by pro- fessor Arun Lakhotia, developed Cajun- Bot, and entered the six wheeler in U.S. Department of Defense contests in 2004 and 2005. Because of ULL’s expertise in control systems, sensors and robot- ics, Swiftships enlisted the university to provide the Anaconda with unmanned technology. Working together since 2012, Swift- ships and ULL have created a “Sensor Cour tesy of Swif tships By Susan Buchanan Meet the Anaconda-2 April 2014 16 MTR MTR #3 (1-17).indd 16 4/10/2014 11:54:45 AM
