With Raven®, Seaber aims to redefine the compact AUV market
Lorient, France, 26/10/2026— French AUV manufacturer SEABER announces the launch of RAVEN®, a new generation of compact autonomous underwater vehicles for mine countermeasures (MCM) and survey. Designed to compete with established market leaders, RAVEN® challenges their cost structure.
Weighing 13 kg with a 12 cm diameter, RAVEN® can be deployed by a single operator, while carrying technologies until now reserved for larger and more expensive platforms.
Key figures
300 m
depth rating3–6 kts
speed8 h
maximum endurance13 kg
deployed by a single operator
Precision Navigation Powered by LYNX®
At the heart of RAVEN® is LYNX®, SEABER’s proprietary optical-based inertial navigation system. Its drift remains below 0.2% of distance travelled on straight-line trajectories, with even better performance on lawnmower survey patterns. A dual-antenna GNSS receiver ensures more accurate initialisation and features anti-jamming capabilities, essential in contested or GNSS-denied environments.
Combined with a DVL, this accuracy opens up new possibilities for seabed mapping, underwater inspection, scientific research and defense missions.
Two Configurations for Detection and Inspection
RAVEN® carries a side-scan sonar (600/1200 kHz or 900/1800 kHz) and comes in two versions:
• RAVEN SCAN-MAG integrates a magnetometer capable of detecting and locating submerged metallic objects, including naval mines and shipwrecks.
• RAVEN SCAN-LUMEN combines a high-definition camera with a 24,000-lumen lighting system for visual inspection, even in demanding underwater environments.
Always Within Reach, Underwater and at the Surface
An acoustic modem lets operators send orders to the vehicle underwater at up to 2–3 km and track it in real time from SEABER’s SEAPLAN software. At the surface, RAVEN® stays connected via UHF radio and Iridium satellite, while infrared LEDs, visible only through night-vision equipment, allow discreet location.
High-End Performance at One-Third of the Price
RAVEN’s breakthrough is also economic. SEABER aims to deliver performance comparable to high-end conventional AUVs at one-third of their price. This positioning could make advanced underwater technology accessible to a much broader range of users and enable large-scale AUV deployment.
Having helped democratize micro-AUV technology with its YUCO range, SEABER now brings the same approach to the compact AUV segment.
“With RAVEN®, our ambition is simple: to deliver the performance of the best conventional AUVs at one-third of their price. Thanks to our LYNX® navigation technology and the integration of advanced inspection and detection capabilities, we believe RAVEN has the potential to fundamentally change the rules of the market.” Vidal TEIXEIRA, President of SEABER
Technical specifications DimensionsLength 131–137 cm · Ø 12 cm · 13 kgNavigationLYNX® optical INS, anti-jamming dual-antenna GNSS, DVLPayloadsSide-scan sonar (600/1200 or 900/1800 kHz); magnetometer (SCAN-MAG) or HD camera + 24,000 lm lighting (SCAN-LUMEN)CommunicationsAcoustic modem (2–3 km), UHF radio (5 km), Iridium, infrared LEDs
Photo courtesy Seaber
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SEABER launched RAVEN®, a new compact autonomous underwater vehicle, in Lorient on 26/10/2026. Designed for mine countermeasures and survey, RAVEN® weighs 13 kg and features advanced navigation technology. It can be deployed by a single operator and offers configurations for detection and inspection, including a magnetometer and a high-definition camera.
- SEABER launched RAVEN®, a compact AUV for mine countermeasures and survey.
- RAVEN® weighs 13 kg and has a 300 m depth rating.
- It features advanced navigation technology with anti-jamming capabilities.
- RAVEN® can be deployed by a single operator and offers high-end performance at a lower cost.
- The AUV includes configurations for detection and inspection, such as a magnetometer and a high-definition camera.