Euronaval 2024 – Latvian NEWT21 unveils its Fog multipurpose unmanned surface vessel
At Euronaval 2024 NEWT21 of Latvia exhibited a derivative of its Rey USV, the Fog, a smaller and higher speed boat which is proposed to the export market
The Euronaval 2024 exhibition confirmed one of the main trends in the development of modern naval forces, which is associated with the massive adoption of unmanned systems within the fleets of leading countries. Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are becoming indispensable tools in modern naval combat.
The products presented by the NEWT21 Latvian company at the Paris event fully correspond to this trend.
At the company’s stand, a working sample of the Fog USV was showcased. Its lightweight modular hull is made of carbon fibre reinforced with aramid fibre. The boat mass is 135 kg, and it can carry a payload up to 200 kg. The hull is 4.4 metres long, with a 1.5 metres beam. The powerplant is based on a 90 hp waterjet engine installed in the aft part of the hull, which provides a cruising speed of 50 km/h and a maximum speed of 78 km/h. The fuel tank capacity is 30 litres, the 11 litres per hour fuel consumption ensuring over 2.5 hours endurance.
In the bow we find a day/night optronic system which includes a TV and a thermal camera, as well as the GNSS antenna; the GNSS receiver and communication equipment are hosted in the hull. A StarLink antenna can be installed on the Fog. The presence of various navigation systems allows to counter electronic warfare (EW) systems, while the data link permits to control the USV from a mothership, from an airborne platform or from a from a coastal command centre.
The Fog is a multipurpose USV and can perform a range of missions including area patrol, combat, reconnaissance and search and rescue.
As said earlier, the Fog was designed exploiting the experience acquired with the Rey USV. This is a fully electrically powered boat, its power plant being based on two 3 kW electric motors. This allows a cruising speed of 6 km/h, the maximum speed being 16 km/h; at cruising speed the Rey can navigate for up to 24 hours, while at maximum speed this is reduced to 3.5 hours. The hull is 4.5 metres long, with a 2.6 metres beam, the total mass of the hull being less than 300 kg, for a payload of 500 kg.
Definitely a boat designed for different purposes compared to the Rey, the Fog main missions include cargo delivery, evacuation of military personnel – up to 4 people, support for sabotage operations and reconnaissance groups, indirect fire support installing two Hydra 70 rocket systems or similar, remote mining of coastal zones using moored river mines, or finally acting as a platform for launching unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
According to the company representative, the Rey unmanned boat is difficult to detect due to the low noise level from electric motors and the very low thermal signature, which is why they are successfully used in the Black Sea by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The new Fog backup is also being tested in Ukraine.
The key advantage of Ukrainian naval suicidal USVs is the presence of the StarLink satellite system, which allows long-range remote-control system. Its characteristic antennas are visible in all photos and videos depicting drones belonging to Kiev. StarLink gives the USVs unique capabilities since it is possible to control boats from hundreds of kilometres. The USV navigation system shows operators its coordinates in real time with high accuracy, as well as the route and other parameters of the boat.
It also allowed to install on boats modern optronic systems with day and thermal imaging channels, the high throughput of the StarLink network providing the drone operator with an excellent “picture”, therefore with a high situational awareness. Moreover, the transmission channels of the American satellite communication system are well protected from the effects of electronic warfare.
Photos by N. Novichkov
