An expanded testing facility is boosting support for advanced naval mine countermeasures.
QinetiQ has installed a new water tank at its MOD Portland Bill site in Dorset, enabling the assessment of larger uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) as part of the UK’s minehunting capability programme.
Jim Graham, managing director for maritime and land at QinetiQ, said: "This investment demonstrates QinetiQ’s commitment to assisting the Royal Navy deploy safely and enhance the maritime security of all allied nations at pace."
The tank, measuring six metres long, two metres wide, and 1.5 metres deep, allows for detailed measurement of vessels’ magnetic signatures.
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This data helps reduce the risk of triggering undersea mines, which rely on magnetic disturbances to detonate.
The facility at MOD Portland Bill, which is managed by QinetiQ on behalf of the Ministry of Defence under the Long Term Partnering Agreement, also certifies uncrewed vessels for safe operation in mine threat, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Unexploded Ordnance environments.
The expanded testing capability supports the UK’s de-mining operations by improving the safety and effectiveness of uncrewed assets.
Mr Graham said: "We are also opening our doors via our Innovation Gateway to those firms that are developing new generations of unmanned underwater and surface vessels to be able to use it to test their capabilities and ensure global maritime security extends into the future."
The new tank complements existing medium and small tanks, allowing more products to reach the testing stage as they are developed.
QinetiQ has provided magnetic assessment services for the UK’s underwater military assets for more than a decade, helping ensure that magnetic signature levels are properly recorded and minimised before deployment.
Testing is conducted in a magnetically controlled environment using a large coil system that can replicate any global magnetic field or reduce it to zero, making it ideal for this kind of work.
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