Arctic Multibeam survey using Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV)

TITLE:
Canadian Hydrographic Service – Arctic Multibeam Survey using Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV)

PROJECT WORK
Surveys will take place between mid-August through end of October. In 2023, August 10 – October 10 is the period for the 2023 survey to occur. Exact dates for the first option year 2024 to be provided if and when option year is exercised

BACKGROUND
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) has a requirement for a multibeam survey conducted using an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) fully equipped with a mid-water multibeam sonar system capable of mapping up to 700m water depth. The Contractor will be responsible for provision of the USV, the Launch and Recovery System (LARS) and full integration and calibration of the multibeam sonar system and sound velocity profiling system installed on the USV. The Contractor will be responsible for monitoring/operating the USV and the multibeam sonar system within Transport Canada and Canadian Hydrographic Service standards and procedures. While on mission at sea, the USV will be deployed/recovered from a CHS Ship and mission directed by CHS. While surveying, the USV will be monitored/piloted remotely via broadband satellite link from the USV Contractor’s shoreside office location(s). The data collected will be downloaded locally by CHS when the USV returns to the CHS Ship for charging/refueling.

OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this project is to conduct hydrographic surveys in specific priority areas of the eastern Canadian Arctic in direct support of the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) Ontario, Prairie and Arctic Region Production Plan. It is necessary for CHS to collect high-resolution, full bottom coverage bathymetry, topographic data and tidal/current data via hydrographic surveys to produce new navigational products and datasets to create new or replace/augment existing navigational products in the target areas. This type of data collection is in direct support of the Arctic Pillar of the CHS ongoing commitment to ‘deliver modern hydrography and charting in key areas’ under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) and continuation under the newly funded Ocean Protection Plan (OPP2).

SCOPE OF WORK:
The Contractor’s USV technicians will be required to attend to the CHS Ship’s southern mobilization port to deliver and mobilize all USV equipment and Launch and Recovery System (LARS). All mobilization of USV equipment will be the responsibility of the Contractor with support from CHS/DFO. Days between the completion of the mobilization and the commencement of survey will be defined as offline days and should be included in the bidder’s submission of TABLE D – Offline Day Rate in the Basis of Payment.

Once the CHS Ship commences 24H operation in the arctic, it will involve the USV being deployed and recovered from the CHS Ship nearby the target survey area(s). The exact cruise plan will be shared with the USV Contractor in advance of program commencement. Once at the survey site, the USV will be steaming predetermined lines as well as adaptive survey coverage lines within a geographical block while the USV team remotely monitor to ensure full seafloor sonar coverage and appropriate overlap as per CHS survey standards/guidelines, appropriate sound velocity profiling and collision avoidance. The USV will be required to independently conduct sound velocity sampling necessary to calibrate the multibeam sonar system. The Contractor will provide a minimum of one (1) technician to be aboard the CHS Ship for the entire 42 day operational window without crew changing. DFO/CHS technician(s) will support as needed the USV deployment/retrieval using the Contractor provided Launch and Recovery System (LARS) using the CHS Ship crane.

Upon the return of the CHS Ship to the southern mobilization port, the Contractor’s USV technicians will attend to the vessel to demobilize all USV equipment. All demobilization of USV equipment will be the responsibility of the Contractor.