Each weighing 26 kilograms, with a high-resolution camera and ready for action in minutes: six new, remote-controlled underwater drones have now been added to the 3rd Minehunting Squadron in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. The Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Utilization of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) procured them in a fast-track procedure.
The underwater drones for maritime reconnaissance were procured within nine months as part of an immediate deployment initiative by the Maritime Division at the BAAINBw in Koblenz. The purpose of the accelerated procedure is to cover unforeseeable and urgent deployment requirements. https://militaeraktuell.at/daedalus-24-oesterreich-sichert-seinen-luftraum/ Less danger for divers
The Deep Trekker Revolution drones have a high-resolution 4K camera, a 260-degree rotating head and can be used at depths of up to 305 meters. This allows them to search underwater for potentially dangerous objects such as mines, for example the hulls of ships or port facilities. The system also has a gripper that can be used to retrieve objects. The cable is designed for a tensile load of up to 100 kilograms.
The underwater drones are operated by cable remote control. The advantage: they can also be used without diving personnel on site. This reduces the risk to the divers involved.
The 3rd minehunting squadron in Kiel, to which the underwater drones have now been handed over, has ten Frankenthal-class minehunting boats. This type of boat combines all of the navy’s capabilities for so-called linked naval mine countermeasures: targeted mine hunting and mine diving as well as large-scale mine clearance. The squadron’s boats are available for national and international maneuvers, deployments and task forces.
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