The French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Service hydrographique et océanographique de la Marine – SHOM) has selected Exail’s DriX H-9 uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to further expand its hydrographic and oceanographic capabilities, Exail announced on 7 January 2026.
The acquisition supports SHOM’s objective to deliver certified, high-quality maritime data more rapidly, responding to increasing civil and military needs across expanding areas of interest. Following the recent delivery and operational deployment of the DriX H-8, ordered in December 2024, SHOM has confirmed the value of USVs for hydrographic surveys. Building on this experience, the new DriX H-9 will enhance survey operations by offering increased endurance, greater autonomy and increased operational flexibility.
With an endurance of up to 20 days (depending on payload), the DriX H-9 can be deployed either directly from shore or from the SHOM hydrographic and oceanographic vessel Beautemps-Beaupré, enabling flexible integration into existing survey operations.
“By leveraging uncrewed technologies, SHOM can accelerate data acquisition cycles, extend survey coverage and ensure the timely availability of reliable information essential for a wide range of applications, including safety of navigation, environmental monitoring, coastal management and maritime planning,” SHOM stated in a press release.
“This new order reflects the confidence SHOM places in Exail’s uncrewed surface systems and in the operational maturity of the DriX platform,” Pierre-Louis Roudaut, France sales manager at Exail, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “By supporting SHOM in the dronisation of its hydrographic fleet, we are contributing to more efficient collection of maritime data, helping decision-makers address increasingly complex civil and military challenges. As the third DriX H-9 ordered in just a few months by different customers, this latest acquisition confirms that the platform’s extended endurance and autonomy effectively address a wide range of operational needs.”
“The DriX-H9 will offer strong complementarity with SHOM’s other data acquisition assets, in particular with Marlin, our DriX H-8, with which it can be operated jointly,” added Denis Creach, SHOM’s transformation hydro-oceanographic capabilities officer. “Its capabilities will allow deployment directly from the Brest naval base, from where it will be able to autonomously reach survey areas in the English Channel or the Atlantic Ocean. This new DriX will also benefit from the experience gained by our teams through Marlin, as well as from shared infrastructures.”
