France Testing Unmanned Minehunter

摘要

The experimental unmanned vessel Sterenn Du is expected to undergo sea trials into next year off the western tip of Brittany on behalf of France's Delegation Ge-nerale pour l'Armement and the French Navy. The vessel was launched late last year by Pech'Alu International, Inzinzac-Lochrist, France, as a demonstrator for the French Navy's coastal minehunter replacement program.Sterenn Du is designed to be an unmanned mothership capable of operating smaller unmanned vessels that will be able to search, classify and destroy mines. It will likely be carried to the operational area onboard a larger mothership that will stay outside the minefield and house the communications systems that the operators will utilize to control the unmanned vessels.