Sweden has signed an agreement to procure “Gavia” autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) from Teledyne Marine to enhance its mine countermeasures capabilities.
The deal is worth 190 million Swedish kroner ($17 million) and will last until 2028, with the possibility of an extension.
The AUV will support the Swedish Navy in mapping and producing high-resolution sonar images of the seabed and for object detection operations.
Features
The Gavia AUV is a portable and modular platform for various underwater missions.
It supports mine countermeasures, rapid environmental assessments, as well as search and recovery.
Two operators can carry and deploy the system from ships and offshore.
It can dive up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and has a maximum speed of over 5.5 knots (10 kilometers/6.3 miles per hour).
The vessel features a precise navigation system with underwater acoustic positioning support.
Its modular design allows for future upgrades with additional payloads such as synthetic aperture sonar and magnetometers.
Boosting Underwater Security
Sweden is increasing its maritime security amid growing tensions in the region.
Earlier this month, Helsinki deployed a patrol vessel under NATO command to monitor the Baltic Sea.
The mission is part of the NATO Baltic Sentry operation, launched last month to protect underwater communication cables and pipelines from attacks or sabotage.
In November last year, sections of two telecom cables were cut in Swedish waters.
Investigators traced the damage to a Chinese ship in the area at the time of the incident.
