Ghostworks Marine, Ultra Maritime join forces on new USV platform Medusa

Michigan-based company specializing in innovative hull designs and materials Ghostworks Marine has developed a modular platform, the Medusa (M90T), featuring a layered and networked ASW capability and equipped with Ultra Maritime’s next-generation sonar technology.

The 27.4-meter platform with its M-hull design will carry Ultra Maritime’s mission pod and towed array. The containerized mission pod is specifically designed for smaller, minimally crewed and uncrewed vessels. It contains a complete ASW system, including processing and is fully automated for remote operations.

According to Ghostworks Marine, the hull design of the vessel allows sufficient payload capacity while maintaining high speed for the rapid deployment of ASW missions.

In addition, the Medusa is designed to carry Ghostworks’ USVs to extend ASW operational reach. They will deploy Ultra Maritime’s next-generation independently developed sonobuoys.

The USVs will also carry Ultra Maritime’s receivers and processing equipment.

“The Ultra Maritime Mission Pod is designed for quick deployment on and off surface vessels. Ghostworks’ Medusa (M90T) offers ready integration and can carry the Mission Pod alongside a family of vessels and drones, adding layers of detection and data collection capabilities. This enables us to provide our customers with a complete turnkey solution at a fraction of the cost of larger capital ASW ships,” Mark Kenny, SVP of Business Development at Ultra Maritime, described the partnership’s nature.

“The primary operational unit will be the Ghostworks Marine Medusa open stern variant (M90T), equipped with Ultra Maritime’s containerized ASW package. These vessels will integrate data from Ultra Maritime’s towed array, sonobuoy, and other ISR/ASW sources within their fire control systems to track and potentially engage submerged targets,” Patrick Coughlin, EVP of Business Development for Ghostworks, commented.

“Expanding on that capability, additional Medusa vessels can deploy Ghostworks’ USVs, which can be fit out with tethered octocopters or balloons that serve as receivers for Ultra Maritime sonobuoy data.”

Recently, Ultra Maritime unveiled Sea Spear, a ‘first-of-its-kind’ lightweight deployable sonar system to enhance submarine detection capabilities.