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Kongsberg trials a sonar with no hull

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10:58UTC

Kongsberg reported on 31 August the first at-sea trials of HISAS2020, a synthetic-aperture sonar it sells independently of any vehicle, flown on a HUGIN Edge. It gave no trial date, no location and no independent test data.

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Key takeaway

Kongsberg has sea-trialled a payload it will sell onto five vehicle types, including rivals' hulls.

Kongsberg reported on 31 August the first at-sea trials of HISAS2020, a synthetic-aperture sonar, flown on a HUGIN Edge autonomous underwater vehicle, with acoustic imagery the company estimates at about 13mm by 13mm resolution ¹. Synthetic-aperture sonar builds a fine image by combining returns collected along a track, which is how a small towed or carried sensor produces detail a fixed array cannot.

The resolution figure is the vendor's own estimate, and the release gives no trial date, no location and no independent test data ². Kongsberg intends to offer the sonar for AUVs, UUVs, USVs, ROVs and towfish alike, which is the commercially interesting part: the same firm validating a standalone payload also sells the vehicle it flew on.

That combination sets up a conflict the buyer has to manage. Kongsberg signed a Fugro supplier deal and logged a DOF HUGIN AUV order on 15 July , so its hull business and its sensor business chase the same customers. A navy or survey operator buying the sonar alone gains the freedom to change vehicle supplier later, and hands the sensor vendor a foothold on every competitor's hull in the process.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

Sonar uses sound underwater in the way cameras use light. Synthetic-aperture sonar combines repeated sound readings to create a more detailed image. Kongsberg tested its system on a robot submarine, but the quoted resolution comes from the company itself.

Deep Analysis

Root Causes

Kongsberg tested HISAS2020 on HUGIN Edge at sea, putting a sensor and vehicle together in operating conditions. The record treats the 13mm by 13mm image resolution as Kongsberg's estimate.

Sources:Kongsberg

Mentions:Kongsberg →Fugro →

First Reported In

Update #12 · Missile modules, no budget line

Kongsberg· 5 Sept 2026

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