A Swedish Navy AUV62-AT on display at the Saab Kockums shipyard in Karlskrona. (Saab Kockums)
Saab is marketing its AUV62-AT autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) as a cheaper alternative to submarines for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training. The system offers 90–95% of the training value of a submarine, Per Abrahamsson, chief engineer for the AUV62, told journalists at the Saab Kockums shipyard in Karlskrona in southern Sweden on 14 May. The system offers realistic training, including active and passive target signatures, and post-mission analysis. It has been sold to eight countries, including Australia, Poland, Sweden, and the UK, he said in a presentation.
The AUV62-AT has a diameter of 21 in (533 mm) and weighs about 800 kg (1,764 lb), according to the Saab website. The vehicle can operate at speeds of up to 12 kt submerged and 3 kt on the surface. Endurance is more than three hours at 10 kt, nine hours at 6 kt, and 18 hours at 3 kt, according to the presentation. The AUV has a maximum depth of 300 m (984 ft).
The system operates at frequencies from 25 Hz to 100 kHz in a passive mode or 1–100 kHz in the active. Target strength runs from -20 to 20 dB. The system can be modified to present different training difficulties based on exercise goals, Abrahamsson said.
Communication is via Wi-Fi, satellite communications (satcom), very high frequency (VHF), and an acoustic link. An inertial measurement unit (IMU), Doppler velocity log (DVL), and depth sensors are fitted. The system can operate autonomously or under remote control and evade in response to pings during a training scenario.
The AUV62-AT is equipped with two batteries: a main system that runs onboard systems and a smaller emergency power battery, Abrahamsson added.
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