SubSea Engineering, Inc. has acquired the assets of the high-speed, high-efficiency Hyper-Sub, which will transform how submersible crafts are used. The firm will be bringing this transformative product to market, and acquiring other cutting edge technologies for naval special operations, surveillance, intelligence, and other applications.
The Hyper-Sub can deploy directly from shore and travel for hundreds of miles at speeds of up to 30 MPH, submerging on demand, surfacing and returning to shore. Unlike traditional submarines that require multi-million dollar support vessels and hundreds of crewmembers to launch, the Hyper-Sub can operate independently and launch in as little as three feet of water. If a threat is detected, the craft can be deployed immediately, with the necessary offensive capabilities on board.
This disruptive technology will have national security implications as the U.S. “These capabilities are unheard of in this industry,” said Timothy Batchelor, Chairman of the Board of SubSea Engineering, Inc. “The Hyper-Sub will play a significant role in enhancing U.S. military and law enforcement capabilities in areas such as port security and shoreline detection and defense. Defense agencies will be able to cover a dramatically larger area of shoreline at a fraction of the cost, and respond much faster should an incident occur.”
This unique craft is also highly sought after in the oil and gas industry, where the ability to quickly identify undersea issues is crucial. The Hyper-Sub can replace unmanned submersibles, making it easy to bring a person on board to inspect, repair and maintain pipelines and oilrig structures.
For decades, contractors have looked for ways to combine the high-speed surface capabilities of a speedboat with the unique capabilities of a submersible; however, numerous obstacles stymied the progress. SubSea Engineering’s acquisition of the technology has paved the way to bring this highly anticipated technology to market.
[mappress] Press Release, July 10, 2014; Image: SubSea Engineering