Highly Advanced Underwater Surveillance System Launched

Image Soft Oy, a leading Nordic underwater and maritime technology company, has today launched a new 3rd generation underwater surveillance system, UNWASTM.

Building on the success of the 1st and 2nd generation systems, this 3rd generation UNWAS system comes with a completely new digital electronics and software suite. The 3rd generation UNWAS™ system, consisting of distributed modular sensor network with passive hydrophones and other sensors, is used to detect and give advance warning of both underwater and surface threats.

Key features of this new UNWASTM include:
• Being able to meet the demanding acoustic underwater conditions in various challenging environments, for example, the Baltic and North Seas, and it has also been tested and delivered in tropical waters.
• The capability to detect, locate and classify all kinds of underwater threats – including divers, submarines, AUVs, ROVs, and underwater drones – even close to busy and noisy shipping lanes.
• Detecting approaching threats from extreme ranges without adding sound “pollution” to the oceans that would harm aquatic mammals like whales or dolphins.

The subsea protection software suite – delivered with the system – leverages the latest developments in neural networks and machine learning by implementing deep learning as a key software feature available for operators. This means that smart software can be taught how to recognize, for example, a mini-submarine trying to hide under a noisy civilian cargo ship entering a port. The software can also detect and alert harbor authorities even during busy operations to the presence of unauthorized open- or closed-circuit divers.

Matti Suuronen, CEO, Image Soft Oy, commented: “We are proud to be launching our state-of-the-art maritime surveillance system at UDT 2023. Our new product is a result of years of investment in research in algorithms and signal processing and it also leverages our long experience in underwater warfare simulators. In today’s geopolitical environment, UNWAS perfectly meets the urgent need to defend and monitor both national maritime borders as well as key underwater infrastructure”.

Tuomas Pöyry, Vice President at Image Soft, added: “Helping our customers, who are both national navies and civilian port and pipeline operators, keeping their maritime defense capabilities abreast of the changing operating environment is crucial for preventing sabotage, as was seen with the Nordstream 1 and 2 explosions. The 3rd generation UNWASTM underwater surveillance system provides our clients with a highly advanced and cost-effective way to secure the subsea domain”.

Press Release