According to information published by Tass on February 1, 2023, the Vityaz-D Autonomous Underwater Vehicle has been upgraded. The new vehicle will now be able to operate continuously in a given area of research.
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Vityaz-D Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. (Picture source: FPI)
The Vityaz-D is a Russian Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. She was designed to dive to full ocean depth and was tested in May 2020 with dives reaching up to 10,028 meters in the Mariana Trench. The program was revealed in July 2020 at the Army-2020 International Military and Technical Forum.
The AUV is 19 ft long and 4.6 ft wide, powered by batteries, and equipped with four electric propulsors and ten small electric maneuvering thrusters. It can reach a speed of 1 meter/second and has an endurance of 24 hours. The test depth for the vehicle is 39,000 ft (12,000 m).
FPI Director General Andrei Grigoryev also said that in 2022 work on the project ended with tests of Vityaz-D in the deep Pacific Ocean. The complex confirmed its capabilities and readiness for its intended use.
