Singapore Navy Deploys RTsys COMET-MCM AUVs for Mine Warfare

RTsys Underwater Technologies, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) announced the operational deployment of several COMET-MCM autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), designed to detect and identify naval mines. This deployment marks a milestone in the modernization of the Singapore Navy's mine countermeasures capabilities.

The Singapore Strait is one of the world's most strategic maritime routes. Nearly 150,000 ships pass through it each year (three times more than the strait of Hormuz), making this area a vital link in international trade. Any disruption caused by an underwater threat, particularly the presence of mines, could have major consequences for maritime safety and economic trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

To address this challenge, the RSN now relies on several COMET-MCM systems, developed by RTsys Underwater Technologies in partnership with the DSTA. These autonomous underwater vehicles are deployed during the initial stages of mine countermeasures operations to detect, locate, and identify suspicious objects on the seafloor with a very high degree of precision.

Equipped with side scan sonar, the COMET-MCM is capable of operating autonomously for more than twelve hours and mapping vast underwater areas with remarkable positioning accuracy.

Preprogrammed before launch, these AUVs reduce the workload on operators while speeding up reconnaissance operations and limiting crew exposure to hazardous areas.

The data collected by the COMET-MCM complements that recovered from the sonar mounted on minehunters to inform the various phases of the mission: detection, classification, identification, and neutralization. When a contact is detected, it can be confirmed using remotely operated systems or by divers equipped with specialized handheld sonar, such as the RTsys' SONADIVE.

This project is the result of close cooperation between the Republic of Singapore Navy, the DSTA, and RTsys Underwater Technologies. The DSTA oversaw the system's integration to meet the operational requirements of the Singapore Navy, while RTsys contributed its expertise gained over more than a decade in the field of autonomous underwater robotics.