AUVs to be supplied to Swedish Royal Navy under new frame agreement

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and Florida-based unmanned systems specialist Teledyne Marine have entered into a multi-year framework agreement for the delivery and support of new autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) slated for the Swedish Armed Forces.

The AUVs will be operated by the Swedish Royal Navy for mine countermeasures missions. Each craft will have a side-scan sonar, a FLIR camera, and a modular design that allows for future upgrades with additional payloads such as synthetic aperture sonar, magnetometers, and multibeam echosounders.

The AUVs will be capable of operating at depths of up to 1,000 metres and can be fitted with swappable batteries to facilitate faster turnarounds at sea.

Each AUV will measure 2.2 metres long and weigh at least 59 kg, allowing for easy deployment and recovery by two people as well as fast overnight transport. The battery propulsion will deliver an operating speed of 5.5 knots and a maximum endurance of six hours.