French AUV manufacturer SEABER announces the launch of RAVEN®, a new generation of compact autonomous underwater vehicles for mine countermeasures (MCM) and survey. Designed to compete with established market leaders, RAVEN® challenges their cost structure.
SEABER press release
Weighing 13 kg with a 12 cm diameter, RAVEN® can be deployed by a single operator, while carrying technologies until now reserved for larger and more expensive platforms.
Key figures
| 300 m depth rating | 3–6 kts speed | 8 h maximum endurance | 13 kg deployed by a single operator |
Precision Navigation Powered by LYNX®
At the heart of RAVEN® is LYNX®, SEABER’s proprietary optical-based inertial navigation system. Its drift remains below 0.2% of distance travelled on straight-line trajectories, with even better performance on lawnmower survey patterns. A dual-antenna GNSS receiver ensures more accurate initialisation and features anti-jamming capabilities, essential in contested or GNSS-denied environments.
Combined with a DVL, this accuracy opens up new possibilities for seabed mapping, underwater inspection, scientific research and defense missions.
Two Configurations for Detection and Inspection
RAVEN® carries a side-scan sonar (600/1200 kHz or 900/1800 kHz) and comes in two versions:
• RAVEN SCAN-MAG integrates a magnetometer capable of detecting and locating submerged metallic objects, including naval mines and shipwrecks.
• RAVEN SCAN-LUMEN combines a high-definition camera with a 24,000-lumen lighting system for visual inspection, even in demanding underwater environments.
Always Within Reach, Underwater and at the Surface
An acoustic modem lets operators send orders to the vehicle underwater at up to 2–3 km and track it in real time from SEABER’s SEAPLAN software. At the surface, RAVEN® stays connected via UHF radio and Iridium satellite, while infrared LEDs, visible only through night-vision equipment, allow discreet location.
High-End Performance at One-Third of the Price
RAVEN’s breakthrough is also economic. SEABER aims to deliver performance comparable to high-end conventional AUVs at one-third of their price. This positioning could make advanced underwater technology accessible to a much broader range of users and enable large-scale AUV deployment.
Having helped democratize micro-AUV technology with its YUCO range, SEABER now brings the same approach to the compact AUV segment.
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