French underwater robotics manufacturer SEABER has officially launched the RAVEN, a 13 kg single-operator autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) engineered for naval mine countermeasures (MCM) and high-resolution seabed survey operations.
Announced on October 26, 2026, the Lorient-based firm designed the RAVEN to scale up from its micro-AUV portfolio (such as the YUCO range) into dedicated military-grade MCM roles. Built to deliver the sensing resolution and operational endurance of conventional, high-end mine-hunting AUVs at approximately one-third of their acquisition cost, the RAVEN combines a proprietary optical-based inertial navigation system (INS) with multi-sensor payload configurations, enabling rapid deployment from rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) or shore bases without specialized crane infrastructure.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: SEABER RAVEN MINE-HUNTING AUV ARCHITECTURE
Developer, Program Office & Operational Classification
⚡ Lead Platform Prime: SEABER (Lorient, Brittany, France)
⚡ Operational Domain: Mine Countermeasures (MCM), Very Shallow Water (VSW) Operations, Seabed Warfare, and Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI) Inspection
⚡ Deployment Concept: Single-operator manual launch and recovery from small craft, RHIBs, or uncrewed surface vessels (USVs)
⚡ Commercial Positioning: High-density, low-cost MCM capability designed to reduce unit acquisition risk during high-threat naval mine clearance sorties 
Airframe Engineering, Hydrodynamics & Kinematic Profile
💥 Platform Dimensions & Weight: Dry Weight: 13 kg (29 lb) | Length: 131 to 137 cm (4.3 to 4.5 ft) | Body Diameter: 12 cm (4.7 in)
💥 Maximum Operating Depth: 300 meters (985 ft)
💥 Dynamic Speed & Endurance: Speed Envelope: 3 to 6 knots | Mission Endurance: Up to 8 hours on internal lithium-ion power architecture
💥 Low-Observable (LO) Recovery: Covert night-time recovery system featuring covert infrared (IR) beacons visible exclusively through night-vision goggles (NVG) to minimize visual footprint
Navigation, Positioning & Anti-Jamming Electronics
🚀 Primary Inertial Navigation System: LYNX optical-based INS (delivering cross-track position drift rates under 0.2% of distance traveled on linear tracks, with optimized performance during “lawnmower” search patterns)
🚀 Velocity & Bottom Tracking: Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) measuring precise acoustic ground-track velocity over the seabed
🚀 GNSS Surface Receiver: Anti-jamming dual-antenna satellite receiver for pre-dive GPS/GNSS position fixes in electronic warfare environments (e.g., Baltic and Black Sea theaters)
🚀 Undersea & Surface C2 Data-Link: Integrated acoustic modem providing real-time telemetry and command updates at 2 to 3 km underwater range via SEAPLAN C2 software; surface communications via UHF (up to 5 km) and Iridium SATCOM
Modular Payload & Sensor Variants
🚀 Base Acoustic Sensor: Integrated High-Frequency Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) across all models for acoustic imaging of seabed mine-like objects (MLOs)
🚀 SCAN-MAG Configuration: Integrates side-scan sonar with a high-sensitivity magnetometer array to detect magnetic anomalies (ferrous metal mine casings, unexploded ordnance, and shipwrecks)
🚀 SCAN-LUMEN Configuration: Integrates side-scan sonar with a High-Definition (HD) optical camera paired with a 24,000-lumen LED illumination system for visual identification and contact verification
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The launch of SEABER’s RAVEN AUV represents an ongoing shift toward lightweight, single-operator autonomous underwater vehicles within naval mine countermeasures (MCM). Historically, mine-hunting AUVs (such as the REMUS 100 or Hugin series) were heavy, multi-operator systems that required specialized handling cranes, larger launch craft, and significant logistics footprints.
From an engineering and tactical perspective, the RAVEN addresses key operational friction points in littoral mine clearance. Operating at a dry weight of just 13 kg while diving to 300 meters, it allows naval expeditionary teams and clearance divers to covertly deploy sonar assets directly into contested waters from small RHIBs. The integration of the LYNX optical INS and DVL provides the sub-0.2% drift precision required to generate precise target coordinates for mine neutralization drones or explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) divers. Furthermore, by incorporating anti-jamming dual-antenna GNSS receivers and covert IR recovery arrays, the RAVEN provides navies operating in heavily jammed environments—such as the Black Sea, Baltic Sea, or Persian Gulf—with an affordable, scalable tool for persistent seabed search.
