Exail to deliver second Drix O-16 USV to OMS Group

OMS Group, marine cable laying services provider, and Exail, France-based developer of maritime systems, announced the acquisition of a second Exail DriX O-16 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), accelerating OMS Group’s deployment of autonomous survey capabilities to support the growing demand for subsea cable infrastructure worldwide.

The first DriX O-16, purchased last year and to be named USV Elite, is scheduled to be launched in mid-2026. Together, the two vessels will support subsea cable installation campaigns globally, performing seabed surveys, route verification, and monitoring for critical telecommunications cable infrastructure.

⚙ With an operational endurance of up to 30 days and a range of approximately 3,500 nautical miles, the DriX O-16 is designed to support long-duration survey missions with minimal reliance on crewed vessels. The platform also accommodates advanced survey sensors, including the Kongsberg Discovery EM124 multibeam echo sounder, enabling precise, high-resolution seabed mapping required for large-scale subsea infrastructure projects.

“As global demand for subsea digital infrastructure continues to grow, advanced survey capability has become increasingly important. The deployment of the DriX O-16 strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality seabed data with greater safety, lower emissions, and improved operational resilience, particularly for long-duration and remote offshore missions.” – commented Ronnie Lim, Group Chief Executive Officer of OMS Group.

The DriX O-16 will be integrated into OMS Group’s expanding survey ecosystem, alongside the planned deployment of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and the establishment of a Remote Operation Centre (ROC) in Singapore, enabling remote supervision, real-time data validation, and coordinated multi-vehicle operations.

“The subsea cable market is expanding rapidly, driven by global connectivity needs. Our DriX O-16, equipped with an EM124 multibeam echo sounder, provides cable-laying operators with the endurance and seabed coverage required to support complex installation campaigns. The use of USVs can reduce the survey carbon footprint by up to 99%, decrease human exposure at sea, and offer greater operational flexibility while maintaining high data quality.” – commented Olivier Cervantes,  VP Maritime Autonomy Solutions.

📃📷 Source: Exail