Saudi Arabia Launches Self-Guided Boat to Tackle Houthi Naval Attacks
The Black Shark, which can be fitted with a wide range of weapons, features a long-range radar that covers up to 150 kilometers and sensor systems that allow it to monitor and create a 3D map of a 200-meter area surrounding the vessel
Dr. Shaul Shay
| 25/10/2018
Saudi Arabian security forces thwarted an attempted attack on an Aramco oil distribution center involving an unmanned boat from Yemen, April 2017 (Photo: Saudi Interior Ministry via AP)
King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has unveiled its Black Shark self-guided boat at the 38th GITEX Technology Week in Dubai. The vessel was developed in collaboration with Taqnia for Robotics and Smart Systems.
The boat includes sensor systems that allow it to monitor and create a 3D map of a 200-meter area surrounding the boat, and automated control technology that allows it to navigate independently and avoid collisions without human intervention. The Black Shark can accurately identify its precise location using differential GPS, as well as specifying, monitoring and tracking targets. It is fitted with a digital camera powered by electro-optic and infrared technology that can produce HD-quality video, and also has night vision capability.
The boat can be equipped with a wide range of weapons, acting as a firearms platform that uses self-balancing gyroscopic technology. It can also survey beaches at a range of 15 kilometers.
The Black Shark has long-range radar that covers up to 150 kilometers, and a telecommunication system to track its location, monitor its status and connect to multiple domains through command centers that allow wireless communication and remote control.
The threat of nnmanned, remote-controlled craft in the Red Sea
On January 30, 2017, a Saudi frigate came under attack while it was on patrol west of Yemen’s Hodeida port. A Houthi boat crashed into the rear of the Saudi warship, resulting in the explosion of the boat and a fire at the rear of the ship. The crew was able to extinguish the fire but two crew members were killed, and three others were injured. The Saudi frigate presumed military mission, enforcing a blockade on the nearby Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida.
The unmanned boat was likely provided to the Houthi rebels by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
On April 25, 2017, the security spokesperson of the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry said that the border guards in Jazan foiled a terror plot attempting to blow up a Saudi Aramco oil depot and distribution station using a booby-trapped boat.
The boat was spotted at the time of its launch from one of the small islands in Yemeni waters. The boat’s speed increased to 34 knots when it entered Saudi waters and it was headed to the petroleum products distribution station. When the border patrols intercepted the boat, it became clear that there were no people on board and that it was controlled by a remote control.
The guards decided to fire at its engines and disable them before the boat could reach its target quickly since the distribution station was only 1.5 nautical miles away.
In coordination with the Saudi Royal Navy forces, the inspection of the boat revealed that it was carrying heavy explosive materials. The site was then secured and the threat was dealt with in the sea.
On July 29, 2017, the Arab coalition forces in Yemen announced that the Houthi militias targeted Al-Mocha port with a remote-controlled booby-trapped boat.
The boat hit a pier near a group of ships and exploded, a release issued by the Coalition said, noting that the attack caused no losses.
On August 16, 2017, Houthi forces targeted a United Arab Emirates military vessel in Al-Mocha port using an explosives-laden boat. A large explosion was heard across the port when Yemeni forces eliminated the threat before it reached the docked ship.
On August 23, 2018, the Arab Coalition said it had foiled an attack by Houthi militants using speedboats full of explosives to target commercial vessels. The coalition forces managed to thwart the boat, which was launched from the shore near the port of Hodeidah.
On September 9, 2018, Yemeni naval forces foiled a bombing operation in which Houthi militias planned to attack international shipping in the Red Sea with a booby-trapped boat.
A military source told Al-Arabiya that an improvised explosive device (IED) was planted on the boat that was speeding on international waters in the Red Sea at speeds reaching more than 35 miles per hour. The source said Houthi militias were attempting to attack an international trading ship but Yemeni naval forces were able to stop the boat and force it toward one of the uninhabited islands close by.
Summary
The development of the Black Shark is part of a KACST initiative to localize and transform transport technology and logistics, to help achieve the aims of the Saudi 2030Vision.
Self-guided unmanned patrol boats are already in service in several navies operating in the Middle East, including the US, Israel, and Iran. Iran equipped the Houthi rebels in Yemen with self-guided boats, and they conducted attacks against Saudi coalition ships in the Red Sea.
The boat can carry out coastal surveillance and many other tasks. It can protect warships against suicide boat attacks (like the deadly 2000 bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen) and other maritime threats.
As part of its initiative to develop transport technology and logistics, KACST has also worked on automated control technology, included self-driving heavy-duty trucks, with the University of California, Berkeley.
[Sources: Arab News, Jane's Defense Weekly, Al-Arabiya (1,2,3,4), SABA NET]
The Black Shark, which can be fitted with a wide range of weapons, features a long-range radar that covers up to 150 kilometers and sensor systems that allow it to monitor and create a 3D map of a 200-meter area surrounding the vessel
Saudi Arabian security forces thwarted an attempted attack on an Aramco oil distribution center involving an unmanned boat from Yemen, April 2017 (Photo: Saudi Interior Ministry via AP)
King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has unveiled its Black Shark self-guided boat at the 38th GITEX Technology Week in Dubai. The vessel was developed in collaboration with Taqnia for Robotics and Smart Systems.
The boat includes sensor systems that allow it to monitor and create a 3D map of a 200-meter area surrounding the boat, and automated control technology that allows it to navigate independently and avoid collisions without human intervention. The Black Shark can accurately identify its precise location using differential GPS, as well as specifying, monitoring and tracking targets. It is fitted with a digital camera powered by electro-optic and infrared technology that can produce HD-quality video, and also has night vision capability.
The boat can be equipped with a wide range of weapons, acting as a firearms platform that uses self-balancing gyroscopic technology. It can also survey beaches at a range of 15 kilometers.
The Black Shark has long-range radar that covers up to 150 kilometers, and a telecommunication system to track its location, monitor its status and connect to multiple domains through command centers that allow wireless communication and remote control.
The threat of nnmanned, remote-controlled craft in the Red Sea
On January 30, 2017, a Saudi frigate came under attack while it was on patrol west of Yemen’s Hodeida port. A Houthi boat crashed into the rear of the Saudi warship, resulting in the explosion of the boat and a fire at the rear of the ship. The crew was able to extinguish the fire but two crew members were killed, and three others were injured. The Saudi frigate presumed military mission, enforcing a blockade on the nearby Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida.
The unmanned boat was likely provided to the Houthi rebels by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
On April 25, 2017, the security spokesperson of the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry said that the border guards in Jazan foiled a terror plot attempting to blow up a Saudi Aramco oil depot and distribution station using a booby-trapped boat.
The boat was spotted at the time of its launch from one of the small islands in Yemeni waters. The boat’s speed increased to 34 knots when it entered Saudi waters and it was headed to the petroleum products distribution station. When the border patrols intercepted the boat, it became clear that there were no people on board and that it was controlled by a remote control.
The guards decided to fire at its engines and disable them before the boat could reach its target quickly since the distribution station was only 1.5 nautical miles away.
In coordination with the Saudi Royal Navy forces, the inspection of the boat revealed that it was carrying heavy explosive materials. The site was then secured and the threat was dealt with in the sea.
On July 29, 2017, the Arab coalition forces in Yemen announced that the Houthi militias targeted Al-Mocha port with a remote-controlled booby-trapped boat.
The boat hit a pier near a group of ships and exploded, a release issued by the Coalition said, noting that the attack caused no losses.
On August 16, 2017, Houthi forces targeted a United Arab Emirates military vessel in Al-Mocha port using an explosives-laden boat. A large explosion was heard across the port when Yemeni forces eliminated the threat before it reached the docked ship.
On August 23, 2018, the Arab Coalition said it had foiled an attack by Houthi militants using speedboats full of explosives to target commercial vessels. The coalition forces managed to thwart the boat, which was launched from the shore near the port of Hodeidah.
On September 9, 2018, Yemeni naval forces foiled a bombing operation in which Houthi militias planned to attack international shipping in the Red Sea with a booby-trapped boat.
A military source told Al-Arabiya that an improvised explosive device (IED) was planted on the boat that was speeding on international waters in the Red Sea at speeds reaching more than 35 miles per hour. The source said Houthi militias were attempting to attack an international trading ship but Yemeni naval forces were able to stop the boat and force it toward one of the uninhabited islands close by.
Summary
The development of the Black Shark is part of a KACST initiative to localize and transform transport technology and logistics, to help achieve the aims of the Saudi 2030Vision.
Self-guided unmanned patrol boats are already in service in several navies operating in the Middle East, including the US, Israel, and Iran. Iran equipped the Houthi rebels in Yemen with self-guided boats, and they conducted attacks against Saudi coalition ships in the Red Sea.
The boat can carry out coastal surveillance and many other tasks. It can protect warships against suicide boat attacks (like the deadly 2000 bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen) and other maritime threats.
As part of its initiative to develop transport technology and logistics, KACST has also worked on automated control technology, included self-driving heavy-duty trucks, with the University of California, Berkeley.
[Sources: Arab News, Jane's Defense Weekly, Al-Arabiya (1,2,3,4), SABA NET]
