Sea Wasp

Sea Wasp is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) designed by Saab for underwater explosive disposal. The system is used to locate, identify and neutralize improved explosive devices (IED) in littoral and coastal environments. Saab drew from technology used in its commercially-produced Seaeye series of ROVs to develop the military-purpose Sea Wasp. The full system package consists of a vehicle, portable generator, control station, winch and power supply unit.

The 165-lb (75.0-kg) hydrodynamically stable vehicle has a length of 4 ft 3 in (1.3 m), a height of 1 ft 4 in (0.4 m) and a width of 1 ft 8 in (0.5 m). The compact size of the Sea Wasp allows for operation in confined spaces including ports and harbors.

Six brushless motor thrusters are fitted around the Sea Wasp body allowing for enhanced mobility. Saab's iCON intelligent control system is installed, offering greater movement capability in six degrees of motion. The system can operate in currents upwards of 2.5 knots and at depths up to 492 ft (150.0 m).

Sea Wasps can be deployed from rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) and other boats or launched directly from a shore site such as a beach, dock or harbor wall.

Once deployed, the ROV can be operated using a control console on shore, in a vehicle or onboard a support vessel. Upon detecting an explosive ordnance, thrusters lock the Sea Wasp onto a fixed surface such as a harbor wall, ship's hull or seabed. Once stable, the Sea Wasp deploys a five-function manipulator arm equipped with a variety of tools to detonate or disable the explosive. The manipulator arm can place an anti-IED disruptor adjacent to the explosive which, once the vehicle has moved to a safe distance, can be remotely activated, deploying a small charge or water jet to neutralize the target.

Sea Wasp is capable of autonomously maintaining position, avoiding obstacles and following input waypoints. When not receiving commands, the Sea Wasp hovers in place.

Power and communications are provided by an fiber-optic tether cable which delivers 180 to 260 V of power derived from a separate portable generator.

The Sea Wasp is equipped with a forward-facing Norbit wide band multibeam sonar (WBMS) for acoustic guidance. An onboard Internal Measurement Unit (IMU) and Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) provide navigational capability and enable the transmission and recording of specific waypoints. A color camera is positioned on the manipulator arm, with two optical zoom cameras and a single color pan tilt camera also fitted. LED lights are installed onboard the Sea Wasp.

Modular design allows for the mission-specific payload configuration.

In service.

The Sea Wasp began development in 2014, leveraging technology and insight from Saab's Seaeye line of commercial vehicles. The company partnered with the U.S. Combating Terrorism Technical Support Organization (CTTSO) to provide prototype Sea Wasps to the FBI's Counter-IED Unit, the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Group 2 and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's Counter-Terrorist Operations Maritime Response Unit. In January 2016, Saab officials met with representatives of these U.S. government units for a Sea Wasp training program in Charleston, S.C.

Following delivery and initial training, the prototype Sea Wasps underwent 10 to 12 months of trialing and evaluation.

Saab publicly unveiled the Sea Wasp system at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space defense exhibition in National Harbor, Md., in May 2016.

Electronics and technology manufacturer, Norbit announced on May 24, 2016, that Saab's Sea Wasp was equipped with the company's forward-looking wide band multibeam sonar (WBMS).

On Aug. 2, 2019, Janes reported that the production version of the Sea Wasp had been finalized. The Mk 1 Sea Wasp was planned for formal revealing in late 2019.

Saab announced on April 14, 2020, that the company had received an order from the Dutch Defense Ministry's Defense Material Organization for the delivery of Sea Wasp ROVs. The undisclosed number of systems were planned for delivery to the Dutch Navy. The Dutch Sea Wasps are configured with a customer-specific Blueview sonar and human machine interface (HMI).

Saab Seaeye, Fareham, United Kingdom (A Saab Underwater Systems subsidiary)

 Netherlands
   Navy

 USA
   Navy

 WEIGHTS
   In air                  165 lb (75.0 kg)

 DIMENSIONS
   Length                  4 ft 3 in (1.3 m)
   Height                  1 ft 4 in (0.4 m)
   Width                   1 ft 8 in (0.5 m)

 PROPULSION
   Main                    6 x thrusters w/ brushless motors

 PERFORMANCE
   Operating depth         492 ft (150.0 m)
   Operational current     >2.5 knots

 SENSORS/ELECTRONICS
   Sonar                   1 x Norbit Wide Band Multibeam (WBMS)
   Cameras                 1 x color pan tilt
                           2 x optical zoom
                           1 x color (on manipulator arm)
   Tools                   1 x five-function manipulator arm

Saab's Sea Wasp participated in the second OCEAN2020 demonstration in the Hano Bight off the coast of Sweden from Aug. 25 to 26, 2021. The event featured 18 European companies and research institutions as well as ten different European Union defense ministries. The two-day exercise focused on surveillance, interdiction and engagement of surface targets and the detection and identification of underwater threats.

The system's full designation is Sea Waterborne Anti-IED Security Platform (WASP).