OMS Group to deploy Exail’s DriX O-16 to support global subsea cable installation

OMS first DriX O-16 was put at sea early april 2026 in La Ciotat Shipyards. Credit: Exail 

OMS Group and Exail today announced the acquisition of a second Exail DriX O-16 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), accelerating OMS Group’s deployment of autonomous survey capabilities to support the growing demand for subsea cable infrastructure worldwide.

The first DriX O-16, purchased last year and to be named USV Elite, is scheduled to be launched in mid-2026. Together, the two vessels will support subsea cable installation campaigns globally, performing seabed surveys, route verification, and monitoring for critical telecommunications cable infrastructure.

With an operational endurance of up to 30 days and a range of approximately 3,500 nautical miles, the DriX O-16 is designed to support long-duration survey missions with minimal reliance on crewed vessels. The platform also accommodates advanced survey sensors, including the Kongsberg EM124 multibeam echo sounder, enabling precise, high-resolution seabed mapping required for large-scale subsea infrastructure projects.

“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."

Ronnie Lim, Group Chief Executive Officer of OMS Group

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.

“The subsea cable market is expanding rapidly, driven by global connectivity needs. Our DriX O-16, equipped with an EM124 multibeam echo sounder, 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."

Olivier Cervantes,  VP Maritime Autonomy Solutions

OMS first DriX O-16 was put at sea early april 2026 in La Ciotat Shipyards. Credit: Exail 

The DriX range of USVs, which includes the H-8, H-9 and O-16, is designed to address the evolving needs of offshore operations through scalable and flexible autonomous solutions.



About OMS
Group OMS Group is a global, neutral and integrated digital infrastructure service provider. OMS Group has two key divisions, OMS Telco and LitUp Network, enabling the Group to provide sustainable, end-to-end solutions across the digital infrastructure value chain. The OMS Telco division encompasses Submarine Cable Installation, Installation Support, and Marine Maintenance. This delivers a full suite of marine services including, installation and repair of deep and shallow water fibre-optic cable systems, shore end installation, engineering, project management, permitting, subsea surveys and maintenance of systems. OMS Telco delivers this capability using the 5 owned, currently active Cable Vessels, with 4 New vessels under construction. LitUp Network, the Interconnect Managed Services division, encompasses Cable Landing Stations, Network Backhaul, Data Centre Connectivity and Fibre ownership. This delivers licensed terrestrial services to complement the OMS Telco division and enable the full suite of integrated digital infrastructure services.