Russian security services have experienced a unique Autonomous surface-underwater robotic systems “Penguin” that must protect the objects of the Kerch bridge from enemy saboteurs, terrorists and improvised explosive devices.
The product is developed and produced by scientific and production group “MAKO”, thanks to the installed on-Board miniature sonar “Hydra” that can detect explosive devices and enemy divers, hiding in the maze of underwater hydraulic structures.
According to the source “Izvestia”, familiar with a situation, this summer the underwater drone has passed a series of tests on one of hydraulic engineering construction on the Volga and then in the area of construction of the Kerch bridge to Crimea.
— Having made several dives, the robot was transferred to the coastal point of the departments of the object a clear picture of what is happening on the seabed in the area of construction, — said the interlocutor of the edition.
— Means of the sonar robot is not only recorded tracks previously carried out work at the base of the bridge, but found objects, lying under the bottom ground, and found improvised explosive devices hidden by the organizers of the exercises in plastic containers.
As the source noted, the tests deemed successful, and at the present time the question of the beginning of deliveries of the latest underwater robotic systems.
On the surface of the water four-foot “Penguin” looks like an inverted surfboard, where the tail fin is not lowered into the water, and protrudes above it on 80 cm the Machine is moving at a speed of 12 knots — a little more than 20 km/h and can automatically dive to a depth of 500 m. the Autonomous working time to six hours.
But the heart of the latest underwater robot is a miniature sonar “Hydra”, the size of the sensor which slightly more than the ordinary ballpoint.
— “Hydra” transfer to the operator panel high-quality picture of the bottom at a distance of hundreds of meters, and the walls of hydraulic structures or hulls — at a distance of tens of meters, — told “Izvestia” Vladimir Truslow, CEO of scientific-production firm “the Screen”, that develops a unique sonar.
— Image quality allows the operator to correctly determine that the object is in the field of view, and to take appropriate action.
According to experts in the field of marine engineering Alexander Brain, monitoring the underwater situation in the area of dams, hydropower plants, bridges and naval bases remains one of the most important security tasks.
— The experience of local wars and conflicts shows that the methods of setting underwater mines are quite varied, ranging from the use of aircraft, civilian surface ships, submarines, and naval commandos, ” says Brain.
One of the most striking examples of this is the tragic death of the battleship “Novorossiysk” in October 1955 on the roadstead of Sevastopol. The crash killed 829 people, including the crew of the battleship and members of rescue parties from the other ships of the squadron.
According to experts, is still Navy historians cannot give a precise answer, what was the cause of the tragedy: a kind of accident that led to a series of explosions and turning of a warship, or planned actions of the Italian underwater saboteurs who undermined him in retaliation for the defeat of Italy in world war II, the results of which Italian battleship Giulio Seage for reparations withdrew from the Soviet Union.
— In the USA developed an underwater robot Kingfish. It is programmed, and then immersed in water. The robot collects information using underwater photography. According to some, he may be under water for 24 hours. But the Russian “Penguin” due to the use of sonar significantly outperforms the Kingfish, ” says Brain.
— The use of an Autonomous robot with a miniature sonar will allow to increase the combat capabilities of the mine-sweeping forces or diving anti-sabotage units of the Russian Navy and the National guard. The more that its use will always be covert for the enemy, which is also important in ensuring the safety regime of strategic objects.
