French Navy ROV-DeepSea deep-sea robot qualification, Digi Mart USA News: The French defense procurement agency, the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), has completed qualification trials for the remotely operated vehicle ROV-DeepSea, developed by the company LD Travocean. The deep-water trials were conducted in September off the coast of Greece, reaching depths of more than 5,000 meters.
The qualification took place in two phases. A first campaign for shallow and medium depths, up to 2,500 meters, was held in July off Toulon.
The deep-water campaign followed in September off Greece, where the system exceeded 5,000 meters.
According to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the ROV-DeepSea can operate at depths of up to 6,000 meters, which it says represents 97 percent of the world’s ocean floors. The vehicle carries a range of tools and instruments.
The system was designed and manufactured in twenty-one months. The DGA’s technical naval center, DGA Techniques navales, conducted the trials in partnership with the French Navy.
The contract was awarded in September 2024, and the development was funded under the France 2030 investment plan, through the objective on investing in the deep-sea field.
The project supports the French Navy’s deep-sea mastery strategy, published in 2022 by the Ministry of the Armed Forces. The robot is intended for knowledge, surveillance and action missions, including the ability to intervene on or recover objects on the seabed.
The ministry did not disclose the value of the contract, the vessel that will deploy the robot, or the date it will enter active service. The DGA said it is preparing the order of a second system under the major-effect program dedicated to the seabed.
