Arctic Multibeam survey using Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV)

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

PROJECT WORK Survey will take place between mid-August through end of October 2023. September 01 – October 12 is the preferred period for the survey to occur, but is subject to CHS Ship schedule. Exact dates to be provided upon award.

LOCATION OF WORK Eastern Canadian Arctic – priority areas will be within the Low Impact shipping Corridors (LISC) or other prioritized areas as identified by CHS. For the 2023 season (~September 01 – October 12), the priority area is identified as coastal Baffin Island

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.