A compact autonomous system designed to tackle the threat of naval mines has been developed by U.S. defense startup Vatn Systems.

The system, dubbed SIGURD, offers military operators a portable approach for locating underwater mines and eliminating them without the need for large, dedicated mine warfare vessels.

Source: Vatn Systems

Based on Vatn’s Skelmir S6 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), SIGURD focuses on reducing the amount of time and resources traditionally required to clear a single minefield with specialized ships and highly trained explosive ordnance disposal teams. traditionally required to clear a single minefield with specialized ships.

SIGURD’s developers believe that AUVs could be used to shorten that process by letting operators deploy the system directly into contested waters.

According to its developers, SIGURD is offered in two separate configurations. The first version is designed to search for underwater mines by carrying a side-scan sonar payload capable of detecting threats at depths of up to 100 meters. This version is capable of operating for about six hours on a single mission.

Meanwhile, the second SIGURD iteration concentrates on mine neutralization. Once operators identify and then confirm the target, this version employs forward-looking sensors to guide itself during the final approach, completing the engagement autonomously.

For more on SIGURD, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Vatn Systems.