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Russian tech firm creates submersible mine clearance/reconnaissance drone

The drone is capable of operating both in flowing and slack water

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. Russia has developed a remotely operated submersible vehicle designed to conduct monitoring, mine clearance and reconnaissance, Spektr Engineering Design Bureau Executive Director Andrey Bratenkov told TASS on Thursday.

"The bureau’s specialists have engineered a Skat remote-controlled submersible drone. The same aviation technologies were used to create the drone: a flight controller allows an operator to exercise control of the vehicle from the ground more effectively. The Skat is designed to monitor waterworks, conduct mine clearance, reconnaissance and recover objects from a maximum depth of 100 meters," Bratenkov said.

The submersible drone costs 1.5 million rubles (about $19.450), he said.

"Currently, the drone’s prototype has been created. It floats and submerges and we are ready to switch to the stage of its assembly in small batches," the executive said.

The submersible drone is capable of operating both in flowing and slack water. The Skat weighs 4.7 kg and can accelerate to 9 km/h, he added.

In their work on the submersible drone, the design bureau’s staff took into account the requirements of the military participating in the special military operation in Ukraine, Bratenkov said.

"Now everything has melted away in the zone of the special military operation. The Skat can be effectively employed for mine clearance operations. Russian reconnaissance personnel said that they needed a drone that could be launched to the opposite bank of the river for laying a mine near the shore. The Skat completely fits into this mission," the executive director said.