KUBINKA /Moscow Region/, August 27. /TASS/. The Sea Underwater Weapon — Gidropribor Company (integrated into the Tactical Missiles Corporation) unveiled an underwater drone capable of surveying the sea bottom and operating autonomously for three months at the Army 2021 international military-technical forum on Friday.

"The autonomous carrier of variable buoyancy hydrophysical apparatus is used in systems of surveying, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in an underwater environment as the carrier of various equipment while fulfilling an assigned task. The system’s devices can be used in conducting oceanographic surveys while preparing an underwater object for installation," the drone’s description says.

As Gidropribor Deputy Chief Designer Mikhail Kettuyev told TASS, the glider lacks its own engine and operates by pumping liquid in the hull and changing its buoyancy depending on its position. "A maneuvering software is required to be entered into a specialized computer installed inside to make it float," he explained.

The new underwater drone can carry a camera, magnetometers, sonars, and other devices as its payload, the deputy chief designer said.

"The speed of its travel is not great. However, considering that it can operate for a long time and if we use figures understandable for us, this is 1.5 km/h. Its diving depth is up to 300 meters," he explained.

The latest device can be employed for surveying the sea bottom around naval bases, he specified.

"If we take the sea area of a naval base, we can launch it so that it can carry out survey and periodically see if any unidentified objects appear on the seabed and if any objects have been brought into. It can also be used for searching for mines. Mines on the seabed are normally hidden, silted up, and look like nothing other than an underwater stone upon inspection," the company’s deputy chief designer said.

The Army 2021 international military-technical forum is being held at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center outside Moscow on August 22-28.