General Dynamics Mission Systems released the new Bluefin-9 autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) at the OCEANS ’18 conference in Charleston, SC. Featuring a full carbon fiber body, the redesigned vehicle combines high navigational accuracy and high sonar resolution to deliver detailed subsurface data in minutes. The portable UUV provides the same data collection capabilities of larger UUVs, and it can be deployed and recovered from piers, a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) or other vessels of opportunity.

New features on the unit include a high-performance doppler velocity log (DVL) and inertial navigation system (INS); Sonardyne Solstice multi-aperture side scan sonar; advanced onboard processing so data is accessible on recovery; and mission endurance of eight hours at three knots, with a top speed of six knots.

Watch a video of the UUV in action and learn about key features: