August 28, 2007: The British Royal Navy has
purchased several Remus 100 UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle). The U.S. Navy
already has bought and used Remus 100s in Iraq. Remus 100 is an 80 pound
vehicle that looks like a small torpedo. It is 5.4 feet long and 190mm in
diameter. Carrying a side scanning sonar, and other sensors, a Remus 100 can
stay under water for 22 hours, traveling at a cruising speed of five kilometers
an our (top speed is nearly twice that.) The UUV can operate up to 100
kilometers from its operator, and dive to 300 feet. The UUV keeps costs down by
using GPS, in addition to inertial guidance. The UUV surfaces every hour or two
to get a GPS fix, and then goes back to doing what it was programmed to do.
Remus 100 was designed mainly for civilian
applications (inspecting underwater facilities, pollution monitoring,
underwater survey or search). But there are similar military and police
applications, like searching for mines, or other terrorist activities.
Australia and New Zealand also use Remus 100, and over 120 are in use.
Depending on sensors carried, each Remus costs $350-500,000.
