PATROL BOAT REPORTSwiftships Unveils USV with the Anaconda-2Anaconda-2University of Louisiana-LafayetteBy Susan Buchananast month, Swiftships Ship- Shah, CEO, Swiftships. The diesel-pow- Swiftships Taps ULL’s Success hips and ULL have created a “Sensor Bot builders, LLC, in Morgan ered, modi? ed V hull form, all-alumi- With CajunBot on Water” that can navigate without hu-City, La., showcased the Ana- num Anaconda is a Swift Autonomous The U.S. military, meanwhile, contin- man interaction, using GPS/sensory data conda-2 – an unmanned, 35-ft. Vessel with twin water jet propulsions. ues to adopt unmanned technology. In instead of pre-programmed way points. Lcraft in development – during a demon- The Anaconda can reach 50-plus knots 2001, Congress mandated that one-third The Anaconda was used to conduct mis-stration on the Atchafalaya River next and is designed to operate in Beaufort of all ground vehicles in the U.S. Armed sions during training at Emerald Warrior to its HQ. The company partnered with sea state two, or small wavelets, and can Forces be replaced with robotic vehicles Challenge 2013, a two-week tactical ex-the University of Louisiana at Lafayette survive in sea state four – small waves by 2015. With an eye to that mandate, ercise on the Gulf Coast sponsored by more than a year ago to produce technol- with fairly frequent whitecaps. Swiftships paid attention to ULL’s suc- the U.S. Special Operations Command. ogy for a vessel that can navigate with- “The SAV offers enhanced surveil- cess with CajunBot, an all-terrain ve- Special-Ops personnel from around the out a pilot aboard. Swiftships and ULL lance and reconnaissance, identi? ca- hicle with autonomous piloting. A ULL world gather yearly on the Gulf to par-are designing a boat that uses Global Po- tion and interception capabilities,” said computer engineering team, led by pro- ticipate in that exercise for urban and ir-sitioning System/sensory data, and has Shah. “For more than eight hours at a fessor Arun Lakhotia, developed Cajun- regular warfare settings. the potential to support naval, enforce- time, it can perform force-protection du- Bot, and entered the six wheeler in U.S. February’s demo of the remotely con-ment and zone-protection operations, ties, required by state and local authori- Department of Defense contests in 2004 trolled AN-2 on the Atchafalaya was mainly on inland waters. ties, coast guards and special operation and 2005. Because of ULL’s expertise the ? rst step in developing Swiftships commands, including the navies of the in control systems, sensors and robot- autonomous watercraft, Shah said. On AN-2 Is Based On An Earlier Vessel world.” The SAV uses commercial, off- ics, Swiftships enlisted the university to Feb. 18, Swiftships and ULL employees, “Anaconda-2 or AN-2 is the second the-shelf technology, making it easier provide the Anaconda with unmanned along with news reporters, U.S. Rep. iteration of the original Anaconda built for overseas clients to adopt the craft, he technology. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, and U.S. by Swiftships in 2001,” said Shehraze said. Working together since 2012, Swifts- Department of Commerce trade special-(Continued on page 49)46 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News MARCH 2014•MR #3 (42-49).indd 46 MR #3 (42-49).indd 46 3/4/2014 11:28:53 AM3/4/2014 11:28:53 AM