OMS Group acquires second Exail DriX O-16 to scale subsea cable survey operations
As global demand for subsea cable infrastructure continues to grow, OMS Group is expanding its autonomous survey fleet to meet the increasing requirements of large-scale seabed projects worldwide. In this context, the company has announced the acquisition of a second Exail DriX O-16 uncrewed surface vessel (USV).
The move follows the purchase of a first DriX O-16 last year, set to launch as USV Elite in mid-2026, and brings OMS Group's uncrewed surface capability to a new operational scale. Operating in tandem, the two vessels will conduct seabed surveys, route verification and infrastructure monitoring in support of critical telecommunications cable projects across the globe.
At the heart of this expansion is a platform purpose-built for the demands of modern subsea survey. The DriX O-16 offers up to 30 days of operational endurance and a range of approximately 3,500 nautical miles, enabling long-duration missions with minimal dependence on crewed support vessels. Equipped with advanced sensors including the Kongsberg EM124 multibeam echosounder, it delivers the high-resolution seabed mapping precision that large-scale subsea infrastructure projects require.
Global demand for subsea digital infrastructure
Ronnie Lim, group CEO of OMS Group, said, "As global demand for subsea digital infrastructure continues to grow, advanced survey capability has become increasingly important. The deployment of the DriX O-16 strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality seabed data with greater safety, lower emissions, and improved operational resilience, particularly for long-duration and remote offshore missions."
The DriX O-16 will be integrated into OMS Group’s expanding survey ecosystem, alongside the planned deployment of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and the establishment of a Remote Operation Centre (ROC) in Singapore, enabling remote supervision, real-time data validation, and coordinated multi-vehicle operations.
For Exail, the contract confirms the relevance of its DriX Uncrewed Surface Vessel portfolio in supporting high-value offshore infrastructure development. Olivier Cervantes, vice president maritime autonomy solutions, Exail, said, "The subsea cable market is expanding rapidly, driven by global connectivity needs. Our DriX O-16, equipped with an EM124 multibeam echosounder, provides cable-laying operators with the endurance and seabed coverage required to support complex installation campaigns. The use of USVs can reduce the survey carbon footprint by up to 99%, decrease human exposure at sea, and offer greater operational flexibility while maintaining high data quality."
