Underwater Positioning
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The underwater positioning and tracking technology by Sonardyne has been selected for installation on three new oceanographic research vessels being built under the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV) construction program.
The RCRVs are advanced vessels being built for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF), led by Oregon State University, that will enable a new era of coastal and regional marine science.
Oregon State University selected Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Gyro USBL 7000 system to support the RCRVs’ scientific missions across diverse marine environments. This system is engineered to meet both the demanding, multidisciplinary research objectives of the ARF and vessel-build requirements.
The first system was recently delivered to Oregon State University for installation on the R/V Taani, which will be operated by the university. The vessel is being constructed by Bollinger Houma Shipyards.
Systems for the other two vessels, R/V Narragansett Dawn to be run by a University of Rhode Island-led consortium, and the R/V Gilbert R. Mason, to be operated by the Gulf-Caribbean Oceanographic Consortium, will be provided next year.
Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 will allow US researchers to accurately track and simultaneously communicate with multiple underwater scientific instruments, vehicles, or towed platforms, at ranges up to 10,000 m depending on its configuration.
The Ranger 2 Gyro USBL 7000 system was specifically selected for its high-precision acoustic tracking performance, integrated gyrocompass, and proven reliability in complex deployment scenarios.
With Ranger 2 Gyro USBL, scientists and researchers using the RCRVs can achieve optimal underwater positioning and tracking capabilities without the need for separate external heading sensors. For vessels equipped with a dynamic positioning system, Ranger 2 can also provide accurate and repeatable position referencing, in any water, without interrupting target tracking operations.
James Caison, Design Specialist at OSU working on the RCRV program, stated, “The RCRV construction programme represents a significant enhancement to the US Academic Research Fleet. These vessels will empower researchers to address critical questions in climate, ecology, and ocean dynamics across the Pacific coast, east coast and Gulf of Mexico.”
Kim Swords, Technical Sales Manager at Sonardyne, added, “The RCRV construction programme represents a significant enhancement to the US Academic Research Fleet. This order is an endorsement of the precision and reliability delivered by our Ranger 2 USBL systems. It reinforces Sonardyne’s position as a trusted provider of high-performance acoustic positioning technologies for the US marine science and research community.”
