Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV)
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French manufacturer SEABER has launched RAVEN®, a compact autonomous underwater vehicle engineered for mine countermeasures and subsea survey missions while challenging conventional market cost structures.
Weighing 13 kg with a diameter of 12 cm and a length between 131 and 137 cm, the vehicle is designed for single-operator handling and deployment. Despite its portable form factor, the system integrates instrumentation typically restricted to larger platforms. It operates to depths of 300 meters, reaches operational speeds between 3 and 6 knots, and delivers up to 8 hours of mission endurance.
Subsea positioning is driven by SEABER’s proprietary LYNX® optical-based inertial navigation system, paired with a Doppler Velocity Log. The navigation package maintains a drift rate below 0.2 percent of distance travelled along straight-line trajectories, with higher precision achieved during standard lawnmower survey patterns. To support missions in contested or GNSS-denied environments, the vehicle incorporates a dual-antenna GNSS receiver equipped with anti-jamming capabilities for accurate surface initialisation, enabling precision seabed mapping, underwater inspections, and scientific research.
The platform carries a dual-frequency side-scan sonar, offered in either 600/1200 kHz or 900/1800 kHz options, and is produced in two mission-specific configurations. The RAVEN SCAN-MAG variant integrates a magnetometer to detect and pinpoint submerged metallic items, such as naval mines and shipwrecks. For visual tasks, the RAVEN SCAN-LUMEN combines a high-definition camera with a 24,000-lumen illumination system designed for demanding optical environments.
For in-mission command and monitoring, an acoustic modem allows operators to send instructions and track the vehicle in real time at ranges up to 2 to 3 km via the company’s SEAPLAN software. At the surface, the platform communicates via UHF radio with a 5 km range and an Iridium satellite link, alongside infrared LEDs visible solely through night-vision equipment for discreet recovery.
Having previously applied this design philosophy to micro-AUVs through its YUCO product line, SEABER is targeting the wider compact sector by offering high-tier conventional AUV capabilities at roughly one-third of the prevailing market price to facilitate broader fleet deployments.
“With RAVEN®, our ambition is simple: to deliver the performance of the best conventional AUVs at one-third of their price. Thanks to our LYNX® navigation technology and the integration of advanced inspection and detection capabilities, we believe RAVEN has the potential to fundamentally change the rules of the market,” stated Vidal TEIXEIRA, President of SEABER.
