This is rov’s defensive, the robot that proves the United Kingdom to avoid Russian sabotages for the submarine cables

The war under water no longer depends on immense nuclear submarines. Incidents such as the explosion that the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline ended in 2022 And cutbacks in fundamental submarine cables for telecommunications in Europe have unveiled a new type of underwater threats that are difficult to prevent.

To avoid these sabotages in the future, the British Navy Royal started with a series of tests with an external operated robot (ROV). The device, specifically adapted to the task of the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and partners of the sector, has been used for this Withdrawing ammunition without explosionWhat a fatal danger could assume for both the divers responsible for deactivating them and nearby ships.

These tests, which were performed on the island of Horsea in Portsmouth, the port of Portland, South and Norway, are possible thanks to new systems and tools that are integrated in the ROV to detect and place ammunition without explosion and placing. This, remotely checked, allow neutralize the threat safely and without risk.

“This technology would be A valuable set of tools to maintain security of our forces, while offering an excellent price -quality ratio, “says an engineer in DSTL explosives A press release.

“This unique capacity, with his Sensors, tools and camerasWith this, operators can tackle these submarine dangers in a safe, efficient and efficient way in real time, “he concludes.

High -depth

The Royal Navy has not confirmed that the rov is used for the tests, but The images and video they have published reveal that it is about defendingfrom the American Company Videoray, recently taken over by Blue Halo.

This remote, powerful and highly configurable submarine vehicle is designed as a robust modular platform. Thanks to the Seven bow screws (four horizontal and three vertical), has a total maneuverability in six axes And offers great stability, even in difficult marine environments, with strong currents.

Defending is very compact, with measures of 71 x 40 x 24 cm and light, only 17.2 kgMaking it easy for it. It has GPS navigation and DVL steering machine (acronym for Doppler -speed log), an acoustic sensor used in underwater vehicles to measure speed and direction in relation to the seabed.

In its conventional version it can achieve a nominal depth of 305 meters, although it can be adapted to a large depth configuration for Reach 1,000 meters under water. The maximum range of the fiber optic cable with which it can stay on the surface is 1500 meters.

As for lighting, it has 2 sets of LED lights that can be arranged separately And can offer a point beam of 60 ° and a diffuse 110 ° radius. The combination produces a maximum of maximum 15,200 Lumen.

In any case, to obtain Sharp images with little light and a wide field of visionHas a camera with FullHD resolution that can be played at an angle of 160º and has 16 increases digital zoom, making it ideal for detailed inspections.

A multifunctional robot

One of the big benefits against more specific rovs is the modular character than Accept a maximum of 500 different settingsWith the possibility of adding to the useful load on seeds to tweezers to manipulate objects at great depth.

The components can be exchanged In situIt is therefore ideal for complex operations, such as the inspection of oil platforms, limited spaces or, as in the case of the Royal Navy tests, Withdrawal of underwater ammunition.

To adapt it to this specific task, DSTL ingenuurs have recorded and developed different systems In collaboration with Alford Technologies, Atlantas Marine, Sonardyne and ECS special projects.

The ultimate goal is that The ROV works in collaboration with other robot platforms To “scan the seabed on dangers” and “speak to them once they have detected”.

To start operations, the rov defends can be launched from a ship or from the coastAnd has a suitcase with screen and controls to receive a constant video signal and sound and to operate remotely.

The idea is Detailed the artifacts without the robot being damaged or destroyed endsAllowing to use in successive operations. That will significantly reduce the operations.

The British Navy Royal is not the only one who relies on the possibilities of the ROV defense. Last March, a contract was unveiled worth more than $ 30 million awarded by the Naval Information War (NIWC) of the Pacific, so that that The American navy improves its operational skills in such a disputed environment with the Chinese fleet.

This new contract, which the American Navy already had in force with Blue Halo, “emphasizes the dedication of the United States Navy to adjust and adjust our commercial defense solutions, ready for use to use for use meet the changing needs of your expedition forces“said Jonathan Moneymaker, CEO of the company, in A press release.

In exchange, Blue Hal They improve maritime security, recognition and response options of the fleet“