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 resolution1. 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 data2. 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.
