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The A18D Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was recently evaluated by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), the French Navy and the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy (Shom) as part of the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Capacities program. futures (CHOF).
ECA Group press release
The objective of this armament program is to update and develop France’s current capacities in terms of acquisition and processing of oceanographic and hydrographic data.
Embarked on the support and assistance vessel off the coast of the French Navy (BSAM) Rhône, the AUV A18D has carried out a wide variety of missions to accurately map the relief and the seabed up to 3000 m deep, in the currents and swells of the Atlantic.
The example of the A18D tested showed a high level of reliability and was easy to install and use, thanks to its optimized size-to-weight ratio (5.7 m-780 kg) and its intuitive user interface.
Under the supervision of ECA GROUP, the onboard crews of the DGA, the French Navy and the Shom were able to take charge of the AUV and be autonomous at all stages of the mission: from preparation, launch, supervision of campaigns measurements, until the vehicle and the data obtained are recovered.
These tests made it possible to measure the maturity of A18D. In addition, the wealth of experience feedback has enabled teams to assess the potential for using a drone to support and enhance hydrooceanography missions.
The quality of the very high resolution images acquired by the A18D has been recognized.
Prospecting the seabed is essential to ensure the integrity of the equipment installed there (communication cables, pipes, etc.) and through which 95% of the world’s information circulates. Its purpose is to search for debris or wreckage and locate possible malicious systems. The A18D offers a balance between compactness, endurance, performance, modularity, data quality, innovation and competitiveness. It can provide a sectoral solution to these missions
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