A9-M AUV demos at IMCMEX-16
ECA Group’s A9-M Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) has successfully demonstrated its capabilities at the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX-16) that was held in the Persian Gulf, the company announced on 6 June.
The exercise focussed on maritime security and included scenarios of infrastructure protection, mine countermeasures and maritime security operations. The A9-M, deployed by the French navy, performed consecutive hours of hunting using its obstacle avoidance system.
A French divers' team used the AUV to survey several coastal areas, including harbour surroundings and beaches. The mine-hunting phases aimed to localise potential contacts. An ECA Group team was present to support French operational forces and evaluate the AUV's operational performance.
The AUV, which is compliant with STANAG 1364, demonstrated its accuracy for contacts detection and robustness according to the time range of use. A9-M is a portable AUV with low acoustic and magnetic signatures for mine counter measure operation.
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