According to information published by Aeronautics Group on October 14, 2021, the leading provider of integrated turnkey solutions based on unmanned system platforms, payloads and communications for defense and HLS applications has concluded a successful evaluation week of the Orbiter system, operating from the Finnish Border Guard's Turva offshore patrol vessel, demonstrating high capabilities in a marine environment.
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Orbiter UAS (Picture source: Aeronautics Group)
Over the course of the week, the Orbiter system was tasked with various maritime mission scenarios, including search &rescue, identification, surveillance &reconnaissance of suspicious vessels and figures, while transmitting a real-time video stream to the vessel's command &control center. This evaluation was carried out as part of the Border Guard's Valvonta 2 (Surveillance 2) project, which is designed to examine the future integration of UAVs on board its vessels.
Turva is a Finnish offshore patrol vessel. Built-in 2014 by STX Finland Rauma shipyard for the Finnish Border Guard, she is the largest vessel of the fleet as well as the first patrol vessel in Finland powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Turva is 95.9 meters (315 ft) long and 17.4 meters (57 ft) wide, making her the largest vessel ever commissioned by the Finnish Border Guard as well as longer than any existing or past vessel commissioned by the Finnish Navy. Fully laden, she draws 5 meters (16 ft) of water. At design draught, the vessel has a deadweight tonnage of 660 tonnes while her maximum deadweight is around 1,800 tonnes. Her complement will be approximately 30.
