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Maritime technology firm Zelim has unveiled Guardian II, its latest Fast Rescue Craft featuring remote operation capabilities.
Unveiled at the SMM 2026 trade fair in Hamburg, Germany, the custom seven-metre rescue vessel is designed for rapid deployment from a ship in under five minutes. The lightweight craft can operate in maritime conditions that conventional manned recovery solutions would find challenging or too dangerous to deploy.
With a maximum capacity of up to 15 survivors, Guardian II incorporates Zelim’s type-approved Swift rapid rescue conveyor alongside ZOE, the company’s automated, intelligent detection software for optimising search operations.
The patented vessel is available with a choice of configurations, including self-righting, single-point lift, and tailored propulsion options such as diesel jet inboard, jet outboard, or electric propulsion. Zelim is currently seeking Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) type approval for Guardian II, as part of the certification process confirming compliance with international technical and performance standards.
Sam Mayall, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our next-generation Guardian II design addresses several critical safety challenges, including the inability to launch rescue boats in specific sea conditions due to crew risk, the high crew burden from manual handling, and the need for quicker and safer recovery of persons or objects from the water.”
Stewart Gregory, Chief Operating Officer, added, “With its range of potential configurations, Guardian II can be tailored to suit the requirements of a variety of markets and applications, from inland waterway light rescue to cruise lines and full oil and gas installations, as well as everything in between.”
“Combined with our Swift system and a focus on remote helm operations, Guardian II is able to offer a fully integrated person-in-water retrieval system, with the capability to launch and recover the craft, unmanned.”
The Edinburgh-based company anticipates uptake across maritime sectors including cruise, offshore and commercial shipping, coastal rescue, defence, inland water and leisure operations. Zelim also intends to use its global presence to provide international support for ongoing maintenance and training.
