The French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Shom) has acquired a DriX H-8 surface hydrographic drone developed by the French company Exail.
The acquisition marks a strategic milestone in the modernisation of Shom’s capabilities, while addressing the growing demand for reliable and certified marine data for both civilian and military purposes.
The DriX H-8 will perform hydrographic tasks, including seabed topography, wreck detection, and seabed composition analysis. It will also play a key role in preliminary studies for offshore wind farm development.
The collected data will improve understanding of the marine environment while expanding intervention capabilities over increasingly extensive areas, including deep-sea regions.
Exail is a leading high-tech industrial company specialising in cutting-edge robotics, maritime, navigation, aerospace and photonics technologies. With a strong entrepreneurial culture, Exail delivers unrivalled performance, reliability and safety to its civil and defence clients operating in severe environments.
The DriX H-8 is positioned as a strategic asset for faster, better-informed decision-making. Designed to operate 24/7, the DriX H-8 delivers highly accurate hydrographic surveys through innovative engineering that minimizes disturbances and optimizes data quality, even in challenging conditions.
These capabilities were validated during trials conducted by Shom aboard the hydrooceanographic vessel Beautemps-Beaupré off the French coast of Brest in 2020 and in the Gulf of Lion in 2023.
During these trials, the DriX H-8 demonstrated its effectiveness in demanding maritime environments, confirming its ability to deliver reliable data and outperform traditional hydrographic survey vessels.
“We are proud to see the first DriX H-8 sold in France playing a central role in Shom’s strategic missions,” said Exail’s Pierre-Louis Roudaut. “This order reflects confidence in French technological excellence and our ability to support Shom in modernizing its hydrographic resources to meet tomorrow’s challenges.”
