During Oceans 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina on Tuesday, Oct. 23, General Dynamics Mission Systems released the new Bluefin-9 autonomous UUV.

Completely reengineered, the vehicle provides defense, commercial and academic customers with highly-detailed subsurface data in just minutes thanks to the combination of high navigational accuracy, outstanding sonar resolution, and precision manufacturing.

Capable of providing the same data collection capabilities of larger UUVs, the two-man portable Bluefin-9 autonomous UUV can be deployed and recovered from piers, a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) or other vessels of opportunity. 

“General Dynamics has invested in the redesigned Bluefin-9 and a broad team of engineering experts has made significant improvements to the design, production quality, modularity and reliability of the entire Bluefin Robotics product family to deliver cost-effective UUVs with more mission capability and range,” explains Carlo Zaffanella, a vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems.

“We are proud to introduce this first product of a new generation of UUVs, designed to meet the dynamic operational challenges of our defense and commercial customers.”

The Bluefin-9 includes a removable data storage module (RDSM) that stores high-definition images, video and sonar data. Within minutes of the vehicle’s recovery, these images, video and sonar data can be accessed.

The UUV has a mission endurance of up to eight hours at a speed of three-knots. It can reach speeds of six-knots and dive to 200 meters.

Thanks to the UUV’s modularity, customers can exchange both the RDSM and battery to redeploy the Bluefin-9 in 30 minutes or less. 

With all of its capabilities, the Bluefin-9 is ideal for a variety of mission types, General Dynamics says, including but not limited to, environmental surveying, water quality measurement and search and recovery.