France Unveils RAVEN Mine-Hunting Underwater Drone
French company SEABER has unveiled the RAVEN autonomous underwater drone, designed to detect naval mines.
Bretagne Économique reported the system’s capabilities, citing the manufacturer.
During mine countermeasure operations, RAVEN can survey potentially mined areas and record the coordinates of suspicious objects. Divers or specialized underwater vehicles can then use this information to inspect and neutralize the mines.
RAVEN can be equipped with a side-scan sonar, which generates acoustic images of the seabed.
SEABER offers two variants of the underwater drone. The SCAN-MAG version includes a magnetometer to detect and locate metallic objects underwater.
The other version, SCAN-LUMEN, is equipped with a high-resolution camera and a lighting system that outputs 24,000 lumens. This equipment enables visual inspection of previously detected objects and helps determine their nature.
The RAVEN weighs 13 kilograms, measures 131–137 centimeters in length, and has a 12-centimeter hull diameter. It can dive to depths of up to 300 meters, reach speeds of 3–6 knots, and operate autonomously for up to eight hours. Only one operator is required to deploy it into the water.
One of the drone’s key features is SEABER’s proprietary LYNX inertial navigation system, which operates in conjunction with a Doppler velocity log (DVL) that measures speed relative to the seabed. The manufacturer claims a cumulative positioning error of less than 0.2% of the distance traveled during straight-line navigation.
Before diving, the drone determines its position using a dual-antenna satellite navigation receiver, which the manufacturer claims offers enhanced resistance to radio-frequency interference.
An acoustic modem provides underwater communication, enabling command transmission and vehicle tracking at distances of up to 2–3 kilometers. When operating on the surface, the drone uses a UHF radio link and Iridium satellite communications. Infrared lights, visible through night-vision devices, provide visibility in darkness.
According to company president Vidal Teixeira, SEABER aims to offer capabilities comparable to expensive autonomous underwater vehicles at about one-third the cost. However, the manufacturer has not disclosed the RAVEN’s specific price, its first customers, or the expected start of deliveries. Overall, the company reports having sold more than 200 unmanned vehicles of various models on the international market.
Militarnyi previously reported that Ukrainian naval personnel had practiced detecting and neutralizing naval mines using SeaFox underwater vehicles during exercises in the United Kingdom.
Source: Militaryni
