Subsea exploits and delving into the deepest trench
On 8 May 2020, a Russian autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), 'Vityaz' went down to a depth of 10,028 meters, while carrying out a 3-hour survey of the world's deepest seabed. Additionally, Russian media reported (TASS) that the AUV "Vityaz placed a pennant at the bottom of the Mariana Trench in honor of the 75th victory anniversary of the Great Patriotic War".(1)
'Vityaz' is the first fully AI-driven AUV vehicle in the world to reach part of the deepest point of the world ocean, the cresent-shaped Mariana Trench near to Guam, where it carried out mapping, took photos and videos. Information on this success was provided in a press release from the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI),(Фонда перспективных исследований) .
Впервые в мире автономный необитаемый подводный аппарат погрузился на дно Марианской впадины https://t.co/pqNUQjMMxVhttps://t.co/UYqcjisGWD pic.twitter.com/OuDmKQrjl7
- ФПИ (@fpi_russia) May 9, 2020
It is not a mean feat to send down equipment at such extreme depth due to the enormous pressure encountered,1,000 times greater than at sea level. To get a perspective on just how deep it is, here is a fascinating infographic. Hence, the equipment has been tested in the most challenging undersea conditions. According to the FPI General Director Andrey Grigoriev "The Vityaz project is a further development of domestic achievements in the field of creation of deep sea AUVs, including those with unrestricted depth limts."
The AUV was named after the Soviet research vessel "Vityaz", which in 1957 calculated the maximum depth of the Mariana Trench at 11,022 meters. Three years later, Swiss explorer, the first humans, Jacques Picard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh dived down in the bathyscaphe 'Trieste' to the the bottom of the Mariana Trench. In fact, fewer humans have been to the deepest part of the world then have landed on the moon. The third person to do so was in March 2012, the Hollywood director James Cameron onboard the deep submergence vehicle (DSV) 'Deepsea Challenger'. So this shows the huge technical difficulties in getting to 10,000 metres below sea-level.
Infographic on dives to the Mariana Trench (Source: RG October 2018) 2
Unlike the unmanned dives by the Japanese 'Kaiko',a Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle ROV, (1995) and the U.S. 'Nereus', (2009) hybrid ROV that dived down the Mariana Trench, 'Vityaz' operated using AI independently from the mothership. Initial reports of testing of 'Vityaz' AUV appears in 2015, although work started in 2017. The latest dive is the fruition of at least a 5-year collaborative project involving the FPI,(similar to the U.S. DARPA or the UK's DSTL), Rubin Central Design Bureau and the Russian Navy.
Designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau, the 'Vityaz-D' system consists of 3 elements: the deep-sea AUV itself, the bottom communication and instrumentation pod (station) used to interact with the AUV, as well as the mothership. The onboard payload allows the AUV to carry out dynamic bathymetric surveying, sampling, sonar surveying as well as take measurements of marine environmental parameters. It seems that both the bottom station pod and the AUV were sent down into the Mariana Trench, thus enabling efficient data transfer back to the support ship, although the types of acoustic / sonar communications used aren't known, (whether possibly sonic, SASER or also radio ELF). The expedition validated 'Vityaz-D''s capability of operating at extreme depths of the oceans and confirmation of AI and inertial guidance systems functionality. The AUV, (in Russian known as the ANPA SGP), is driven by four main and ten auxiliary electrical-motor thrusters and the main body is made from titanium alloys and external tasing from spheroplastic (polymeric) materials.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 'Vityaz-D' was delivered to the Pacific Fleet for testing in April this year, where several deep dive trials in the Sea of Japan were carried out, from the rescue tugboat "Fotiy Krylov". Russia originally notified the relevant authorities (U.S.?) about where the expedition, the intention and purpose of going to the Mariana Trench several years ago.
A time line of the deepest dives on Earth
1960 - (United States) First manned dive onboard the bathyscaphe 'Trieste' down to Challenger Deep. Lt. Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard.
1995 - (Japan) ROV Kaiko did sample and data gathering from the trench.
2009 - (United States). A hybrid remotely operated vehicle, (HROV), 'Nereus', went to the floor of Challenger Deep for nearly 10 hours.
2012 - (United States). Hollywood director James Cameron onboard DSV 'Deepsea Challenger'.
2019- (United States) - deepest recorded manned dive by Victor Vescovo onboard DSV "Limiting Factor".
2020 - (Russia) First AI-driven AUV on 3-hour survey.
More on DSVs worldwide. In the same way as the 1960 dive by the Trieste was part of Project Nekton, or 'DSV Alvin', made famous by playing a role in the discovery of the Titanic in 1986, sub-sea vehicles can have a dual-use capability. Their testing and operations can also be in support of broader military objectives. This aspect is detailed further later in this article.
The U.S. has jurisdiction over the Mariana Trench, since Guam is a U.S. territory and the 15 Northern Mariana Islands are a U.S. Commonwealth. That's why the strong research and scientific interest in the region.
Although there is much interest in the Mariana Trench, it has not been researched extensively until recently. At the moment, the latest expedition to carry out surveying is the ship DSSV 'Pressure Drop', which was the mothership for the 2019 record breaking dive to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench.
Our crew is hard at work in partnership with @NOAA and the @mapthegaps to help map the seafloor by 2030. pic.twitter.com/AMPLvmghv0
- CaladanOceanic (@CaladanOceanic) April 28, 2020
We have finished mapping the Emden Deep in the Philippine Trench and as of now we have completed over 10,500 km2 of the trench and expect to finish it in the next few days. It's clear that the deepest point is over 10,000m, but the exact point and depth is still being determined. pic.twitter.com/AFXos0Ems8
- CaladanOceanic (@CaladanOceanic) April 29, 2020
Why this interest in sub-sea technology?
Apart from from enhancing the possibilities of research for scientific purposes and underwater exploration, this technology also showcases potential military applications, (dual-use), opens up access for the oil and gas sector, and more significantly also deep-sea nodule mining, (more on this aspect in a future article).
The latest 2020 U.S. led research expedition of the Mariana Trench will add further knowledge of the seabed, similarly to a 2010 survey of the area, done partly to "to gather data that can be used to support an extended continental shelf (ECS) under Article 76 of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)" (3). This UNCLOS aspect of the research is very similar to what the Russians have been doing, (with UAVs) in the Arctic, namely, putting a case for an extended continental shelf regarding the Lomonosov Ridge as a continuation of the Russian shelf. An example of the type of data gathered by the AUV 'Klavesin 1R' during a 2007 polar research expedition is provided in section 7 of a paper. (Inzartsev, A. et al 2010).
Closely tied in with the UNCLOS claims is the ever growing need for further and improved geological and bathymetry basin-surveys of the Arctic. Such data is a pivotal aspect in potentially gaining the exclusive right to explore and exploit a range of mineral resources. The application of AUVs and subsea robotics for exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the Arctic is encapsulated in the State Program "Social and Economic Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation until 2025".
Other than for scientific research, AUVs are also used in current and future deep-sea oil and gas exploitation and production systems. They enable assembling, testing, operating and maintaining of the undersea and deep-sea seabed systems, often in harsh climate, sea-ice and extreme weather conditions that hampers surface operations. A great deal is at stake especially in the Russian and the Russian government had in January announced $300bn of incentives for new oil and gas projects north of the Arctic Circle. Sophisticated ROV and UAV technology will have a critical role in exploration and potential exploitation of Arctic mineral resources.
Generally, UAVs come in different shapes, roles and types, with varying depth limitations and some have an operator in the loop. Most commercial UAVs are equipped with Side Scan Sonar, digital cameras and some with a range of monitoring sensors for research. The latest generation are more autonomous and enable longer lasting data-gathering deployments, some literally spend months at sea. There are various designations for UAVs, another common abbreviation is UUV, then there is also ASV and others such as underwater gliders, wave gliders.
Inzartsev, A. et al (2010) detail the complexities of operating such vehicles, the motion control and also various AUV usage for seabed layer (mining), seabed surveying, dealing with obstacle avoidance and objects search and tracking. Although initial R&D is costly and time-consuming, in the long-run, UAVs are cheaper to operate and requires less manpower as well.
Like many other navies globally, the Russian Navy has a keen interest in AUVs, as 150 AUVS and ROVs are in service, mostly to do with for search and rescue, (one such ROV was used in search for the ARA San Juan). Others such as the 'Galtel' are used for Mine Counter Measures (MCM) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and have been tested off the Syria coast.
The seemingly innocuous feat shown in the Mariana Trench is a glimpse into a more secretive and invisible aspect of the development of cutting-edge technologies. What is of particular are those with deep-sea capabilities or covert reconnaissance /surveillance missions, in military parlance - Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, (ISR).
The AUV 'Klavesin 1R already mentioned was the predecessor to the 2R and in 2018 was featured by the Russian MoD in a CGI video clips operating from a specialist submarine. There is a special and specific part of the Russian Navy called the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, (GUGI), with responsibility for military oceanographical and sub-sea operations, and who operate special purpose ships and submarines. Obviously there is a very close tie-up with the FPI and the Russian Navy.
3-D surveys for terrain-based navigation, surveillance in tandem with sonar array, oceanographic monitoring of the undersea environment, as well as coastal parameter defence of sensitive installations and port security are activities that can be carried out by military AUVs.
Receiving a constant stream of real-time and detailed data can be a game changer and substantially enhance operational effectiveness of units and ships. The Royal Navy recently announced the programme relating to using UAV 'gliders' (Slocum Gliders) in support of anti-submarine warfare, (ASW) data gathering. The aim was to gain a comprehensive set of oceanographical data. One of the reasons? "A better understanding of water column properties can also reveal insight into how an adversary might exploit the environment to ‘hide’ in underwater features, such as ocean fronts and eddies." This is part of what is known as Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA), where environmental data is used to support military operations.
The Rubin Central Design Bureau, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, (USC), have in addition to 'Vityaz', designed a range of AUVs and ancillary seabed systems, including, Klavesin 2R, (Harpsichord) part of project "Aisberg", which was also commissioned by FPI. The AUV Klavesin-2R-PM can dive to 6,000 metres and it is intended to be used in the Arctic, and there are only 2 in operation. As reported by RIA, USC was involved in back in 2018 in the development of long-distance and long-endurance AUV gliders.
The latest achievement of 'Vityaz-D' is just the latest of several projects partially aimed at catching up and being on par with with the likes of U.S. technology, such as Boeing's 'Echo Voyager'. It is part of a long-standing effort to enhance Russian domestic cutting-edge dual-use technology. Ultimately, the likes of an AUV such as 'Vityaz-D' can carry out oceanographic studies of the ocean floor, (especially the Arctic) and also can carry out geological mapping for oil and mineral deposits.
Data and technology can also be incorporated in other projects, including next-generation defensive strategic seabed systems, (Harmony), since the 'Vityaz-D' pod suggests some commonality with the robotic autonomous seabed stations (ASS) element. In addition, such data is crucial for navigational systems, such as potential both for submarines and the 'Status-6', doomsday nuclear torpedo, (Poseidon) for example. Economically, it can be seen as a tool to assert sovereignty and a stepping stone to a range of mature AUV weaponry and ISR platforms and thus, ultimately Russia may gain an advantage over rivals militarily on its own home turf so to speak.
Links
Все глубины Марианской впадины рассмотрит беспилотник "Витязь-Д"
Беспилотник "Витязь-Д" изучит ранее недоступные районы Мирового океана. В следующем году аппарат рассмотрит все глубины Марианской впадины. Иностранцев в проект не приглашали. Флаг на дне впадины будет российским
rg.ru
Российский глубоководный аппарат "Витязь" установил вымпел на дне Марианской впадины
Посвященный 75-летию Победы вымпел установили на глубине 10 028 метров
tass.ru