American subsea technology and equipment provider Teledyne Marine has signed a multi-year framework agreement with the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) for the delivery and support of GAVIA autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).
As disclosed, the GAVIA AUVs are equipped with EdgeTech 2205 side scan sonar and Teledyne Flir Blackfly-S camera. The vehicles are said to enhance the Swedish Navy’s mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities.
Furthermore, according to Teledyne, the modular design will allow for future upgrades with additional payloads like synthetic aperture sonar, magnetometers, and multibeam.
The contract, valued at $17 million (SEK 190 million), is set to run until 2028, with an option for extension.
Founded in Iceland in 1999, the Gavia program was started as a joint development with the University of Iceland. The first sales of the Gavia vehicle occurred in 2000 to domestic customers in Iceland.
According to Teledyne, the Gavia AUV can carry an array of sensors and custom payload modules that make it an optimal solution for any research, monitoring, or surveillance task. The vehicle supports mine countermeasures, rapid environmental assessments, as well as search and recovery.