Submarines: Cylon Torpedoes Rule The Deep

Archives

March 8, 2010: The British Royal Navy has adopted a version of the U.S. Remus 600 UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle) for underwater reconnaissance (including searching for mines). The U.S. Navy earlier used the similar, but smaller (80 pound), Remus 100s for this in Iraq, and the Remus design is highly regarded.

Remus 600 is an 240 kg (528 pound) pound vehicle that looks like a small torpedo. It is 3.25 meters (10 feet) long and 320mm in diameter. Carrying a side scanning sonar, and other sensors, a Remus 600 can stay under water for more than 24 hours, traveling at a cruising speed of 5.4 kilometers an our (top speed is nearly twice that.) The UUV can operate up to 100 kilometers from its operator, and dive to 600 meters (1900 feet). The UUV keeps costs down by using GPS, in addition to inertial guidance. The UUV surfaces every hour or two to get a GPS fix, and then goes back to doing what it was programmed to do.

Remus 100 was designed mainly for civilian applications (inspecting underwater facilities, pollution monitoring, underwater survey or search). But there were similar military and police applications, like searching for mines, or other terrorist activities. Australia and New Zealand also used Remus 100, and over a hundred are in use. This success led to the development of the larger Remus 600. Depending on sensors carried, each Remus 600 costs $500,000-1,000,000.

 

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contribute. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   contribute   Close