iXblue expands vessel fleet
iXblue, the specialist French navigation, positioning and imaging company, has extended its fleet of vessels with commissioning of FeliX, a 25-metre catamaran designed for hydrographic, biological and oceanographic missions.
Built by H2X, the company’s own shipyard in the south of France, the vessel features a lightweight non-corrosive hull, has extremely low fuel consumption and is said to require very little maintenance. Other claimed operational advantages include very low acoustic noise, ensuring high-quality imaging.
Onboard equipment comprises a full range of sensors supplied and fitted by iXblue’s sonar division. AUV inertial systems, synthetic aperture sidescan sonars and multibeam units together with real-time processing facilities are among key components which will be used to support both coastal zone and oceanographic undertakings.
By David Goodfellow
