French shipowner LD Armateurs has signed a letter of intent with the Direction générale de l'armement (DGA), France's defence procurement agency, with a view to acquiring a second deep-sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for the French Navy.
The proposed acquisition follows qualification trials of the first deep-sea ROV, which was developed by LD TravOcean for exploration, surveillance and intervention at depths of up to 6,000 metres.
On October 29, the DGA stated that it was making preparations to procure a second ROV system under the Maîtrise des fonds marins (MFM) seabed-control programme.
DGA Techniques navales conducted the trials in partnership with the French Navy. The first campaign took place off Toulon in July and covered depths down to 2,500 metres. Deep-water trials followed off Greece in September, where the vehicle operated beyond 5,000 metres.
According to the DGA, the ROV was designed and built in 21 months. The agency also said that its 6,000-metre rating covers 97 per cent of the ocean floor.
LD TravOcean's published specifications give the vehicle a length of 3.07 metres, a width of 1.48 metres, a height of 2.5 metres and a weight in air of 3,600 kilograms, with 100 hp of total power.
The development contract was awarded in September 2024.
At the same time, Exail was selected to supply a complementary 6,000-metre autonomous underwater vehicle for seabed reconnaissance and surveillance.