The Russian Ministry of Defence is buying eight AUVs from the Islandic Teledyn Gavia for a total of 744 million RUB (€19 million). Three of the advanced underwater vehicles will be delivered already in 2012. The remaining five will be delivered in the course of 2013 and 2014, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports.
According to Teledyne Gavia, the Gavia AUVs can undertake a variety of tasks for military, commercial and scientific applications. However, the multi-mission and modular construction along with the ability to carry a variety of sensors makes the Gavia Defence especially well suited for defence and law enforcement applications, the company informs at its website.
The Gavia can be operated by two people and does not require specialized equipment for launch and recovery which is typically done from either the shore or small inflatables
Russia has itself developed a number of different AUVs. However, these are all both much bigger and heavier than the Gavia. According to NG.ru, the Soviet Union was world-leading within the development of AUV technology. From the early 1970s, the country developed several models, among them the Skat and Skat-geo, the Lortodromia (L-2), the Tiflonus system, and later also the MT-88 and CR-01 systems.
