Uncrewed surface vessel’s mobilization set for Q4 as sea trials continue off France

June 18, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Singapore-based OMS Group, a neutral and integrated digital infrastructure service provider, has provided insight into the ongoing sea acceptance tests (SAT) for its long-range uncrewed surface vessel (USV), currently being conducted off the South of France. Upon mobilization, the unit will support autonomous survey operations.

OMS Group has explained that the SAT program for the USV Elite is demonstrating strong early results in vessel handling, stability, systems integration, and deepwater survey performance, supporting the firm’s strategy to expand autonomous offshore survey capabilities and strengthen its position across the digital infrastructure value chain.

Focused on validating vessel handling, stability, operational controls, systems integration and survey performance under representative offshore conditions, the SAT campaign’s early observations are said to confirm that the USV delivers stable line keeping and platform behavior suitable for continuous offshore survey operations over extended missions.

Emmanuel Delanoue, Deputy Group CEO of OMS Group and CEO of the Telecommunications Division, said: “Beyond the survey performance itself, we are validating an entirely new operating model. The integration of autonomous technologies, remote operations and advanced survey payloads has the potential to fundamentally reshape how offshore survey campaigns are planned and executed.

“Our objective is to combine operational excellence with improved safety, efficiency and environmental performance while providing customers with greater flexibility in how offshore survey projects are delivered.”

The company claims that a key component of the program is the verification of the Kongsberg EM124 deepwater multibeam echosounder suite, with initial results perceived to demonstrate “robust” full-swath bathymetric acquisition capability aligned with the requirements of full ocean-depth cable route survey operations.

The program continues to validate end-to-end integration between vessel systems and survey payloads, supporting the objective of delivering reliable, high-quality offshore survey data acquisition through autonomous technologies. The SAT results will support final operational procedures and deployment planning ahead of regional mobilisation in early Q4 2026.

Maxime Even, Director of Marine Survey at OMS Group, stated: “From a survey perspective, the early results are extremely encouraging. The combination of the Exail DriX O-16 platform and the Kongsberg EM124 is demonstrating the stability and data quality required for deepwater bathymetric acquisition.

“We are seeing strong performance across survey lines, which is essential when supporting full ocean-depth cable route surveys where data accuracy and consistency are critical. The SAT programme allows us to validate not only payload performance, but also the operational workflows and quality assurance processes that underpin reliable offshore survey delivery.”

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The USV Elite’s deployment forms part of OMS Group’s broader strategy to enhance its survey and engineering capabilities through OMS Geometra, its specialist survey business. The vessel’s long-endurance capability is another key area of validation during the SAT program.

Designed to undertake extended offshore missions, the USV Elite provides the ability to conduct survey operations across large geographic areas while maintaining consistent survey quality and operational efficiency.

With the demand for submarine cable systems continuing to accelerate globally, the company emphasizes high-quality route survey data as becoming increasingly critical to the planning, development and protection of subsea infrastructure.

The firm remains committed to operating autonomous systems in accordance with recognised international frameworks and industry guidance as it expands the deployment of uncrewed technologies across future projects.

Ronnie Lim, Group CEO of OMS Group, commented: “USV Elite represents a significant step forward in our strategy to expand next-generation offshore survey capabilities. The results achieved during the sea acceptance test programme demonstrate that long-range uncrewed systems can deliver the stability, endurance and survey performance required for demanding offshore applications.

“As global demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow, innovative survey solutions such as USV Elite will play an increasingly important role in supporting the development of critical connectivity infrastructure worldwide.”

The USV Elite is anticipated to play an important role within OMS’ expanding survey capability, complementing conventional survey methodologies while supporting future integration with autonomous underwater systems and remote operations technologies.

Survey operations are also expected to be increasingly supported through the company’s planned Remote Operations Centre (ROC) in Singapore, which will provide centralised oversight and operational support for autonomous offshore assets.

René d’Avezac de Moran, Chief Operating Officer of OMS Group, underscored: “What we are validating is not only the vessel and survey payload performance, but also the operational model that sits behind it.

“The ability to safely and efficiently deploy autonomous survey systems at scale will become increasingly important as demand for offshore survey data continues to grow. The SAT programme is helping us establish the procedures, controls and operational confidence required for future commercial deployment.”