RV Atlantis, operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, departs today on a mission to locate and recover the Argentine submarine, ARA San Juan, which went missing Nov. 15 with 44 crew members aboard. Atlantis was equipped this week with the U.S. Navy’s cable-operated underwater recovery vehicle (CURV), a 6,400-pound ROV that is equipped with high-resolution camera systems and sonar to detect targets in deep waters.

CURV can dive to 20,000 ft. and transmit real-time data back to the ship. If the sub is located, the CURV will conduct a close-up inspection, document its condition and look for clues to determine the cause of the accident.

Read more: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Image Caption: The Cable Underwater Recovery Vehicle (CURV) was deployed aboard the Military Sealift Command fleet ocean tug USNS Apache (T-ATF 172) in Norfolk, VA. on Oct. 19, 2015 to search for wreckage from the missing U.S. flagged merchant vessel El Faro. CURV was recently loaded aboard the research vessel Atlantis to begin searching today (Dec. 7) for the Argentinian submarine ARA San Juan. (U.S. Navy photo)