These are the underwater robots of the Spanish Navy to locate the victims of DANA on the coast of Valencia

Valencia and Spain continue to recover from the DANA disaster, which on October 29 flooded dozens of cities with an unstoppable tide of water and mud. The disaster was followed by the deployment of the EMU and different branches of the Spanish army, with the participation of helicopters such as the enormous Chinook or the multipurpose H135. Aid has not only arrived by land and air, since the amphibious assault ship Galicia and Minehunters Sella and Duero joined in support and search tasks for victims and disappeared in Albufera and the rest of the Valencian coast.

The work carried out by the Navy ships aims to facilitate the air transport of equipment from the Galicia ship to any point in the affected area, the participation of divers in search and rescue tasks and the exploration of the seabed. They are making a decisive contribution to this thanks to sonar and Pluto Plus remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Instead of locating and detonating mines, their usual job, these underwater robots are used to recognition of all types of objects and possible bodies of mortal victims of the flood.

These functions demonstrate the versatility of the Cartagena-based Segura-class minehunters, including the primary mission is to maintain access to mine-free ports, naval bases and sea lanesmonitoring not only what is happening underwater, but also from the sky with AirFox drones. In addition, the 80 crew members of each of the ships, who are part of the Navy Mine Countermeasures Force (FMCM), are collaborating in the evacuation of water from flooded basements and parking lots, removal of mud from streets and roads and medical assistance to them. who need it in the main cities affected by DANA.

Safe class

The development of the Segura class, including six Mine Countermeasures Force shipssought to replace the 8 coastal minesweepers that the Spanish Navy had in 1990. Based on the specifications of the British Sandown class, Izar and then Navantia were tasked with developing and manufacturing these ships, adapting them to Spanish needs.

Named after different Spanish rivers, the main functions of the Segura-class minehunters and their 54 meters in length are to detect anchored mines (also known as “orinco”) at depths of up to 300 meters and deep mines up to 200 meters. They have various systems to prevent the activation of mines, both magnetic and those that explode from noise, pressure or contact.

According to the Navy itself, “these are ships built in glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), which gives them a reduced magnetic signature as well as great resistance to shocks produced by underwater explosions” . They also have great maneuverability thanks to its Voith Schneider propellers and a dynamic positioning system.

As electronic equipment, they have a Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 navigation radar and a Koden MDC 1550 radar, in addition to AN/SQQ-32 VDS variable depth sonar. But which takes care of the “dirty work” are the two Pluto Plus mini-submarines for searching, identifying and eliminating mines.

Underwater robots

Behind these ROVs is the Swiss company idRobotica, which presents them as the most popular mine-hunting vehicles for “conducting counter-mine missions in tidal current conditions of up to 3 knots and lack of visibility“.

Due to its dimensions of 225 x 58 x 77 cm, it is considered intermediate in size and can navigate at a speed of 6 knots (over 11 km/h) thanks to six thrusters that facilitate precise navigation control.

The robot starts with a weight of 320 kg, to which 100 kg of payload can be added. It is deployed using a minesweeper crane, with which They are in permanent contact thanks to a cable with a length of 2,000 metersalthough they also have a wireless radio link for remote control by an operator present on the vessel.

Their payloads are usually explosives to detonate mines, cameras and a sonar with a range of 0.5 meters to 120 meters underwateralthough the ROV can operate at a maximum depth of 300 meters.

In the second batch of Segura-class ships, the Duero M-35 and the Tajo M-36, Added the Kongsberg Minespiner remote-controlled torpedocapable of destroying mines by contact or proximity at a maximum distance of 6,000 m. It weighs 42 kg and has electric propulsion, responsible for propelling it at 2.5 knots (4.63 km/h), with a maximum immersion level of 310 meters.

Sparus II

At the end of 2023, the Ministry of Defense announced an investment of 135 million euros to modernize all Segura-class minehunters and this includes replacing these robots and torpedoes with more modern equipment, such as underwater drones with autonomous capabilities. The best candidate to replace (or complement) the Pluto Plus is the Sparus II, capable of detecting mines at 200 meters.

The Catalan company Iqua Robotics is responsible for this UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle), with two units already integrated into the work of the diving units of the Mine Countermeasures Force and the Hydrographic Institute.

“Its flexibility, ease of use and openness make the Sparus II a versatile platform adaptable to industrial, scientific and academic applications“, notes its manufacturer. The drone integrates an autonomous navigation function with autopilot with preloaded routes thanks to the systems integrated on board.

The main mission of Sparus II will consist of acquiring data for mapping the seabed, using both acoustic sonars and cameras of different types. It has the ability to process data in real time to detect potential targets – such as mines – and modify the trajectory to study them in more detail.

Regarding the specifications, Iqua Robotics says that the Sparus II has a length of 1.6 meters, a hull diameter of 23 centimeters and a maximum wingspan of 46 centimeters at the rear. THE the maximum immersion level is 200 meters with a weight in the air of 52 kilograms, to which additional ballast must be added to be able to submerge.