In the near future, he will complete the creation of an unmanned underwater vehicle "Klavesin-2R-PM", intended for search operations and research. This was reported by TASS general director of the design bureau Igor Vilnit.
"The complex" Harpsichord-2R-PM "is being created, which, in comparison with the" Juno "complex, has increased autonomy and immersion depth. Vilnit in an interview with a TASS correspondent.
The general director of the design bureau recalled that the mobile autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle "Yunona" was presented at the exhibition of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
"Juno" / Photo: bastion-karpenko.ru
We are talking about an apparatus designed to study the underwater environment, solve search problems and support rescue operations, and work on the Arctic shelf.
"Juno" is designed for a depth of up to a thousand meters, its autonomy reaches six hours. The length of the apparatus is 2.9 m, its diameter is 0.2 m, and its weight is 80 kg.
Earlier, I. Vilnit said that the development was interested, including in the Russian Navy.
According to open sources Earlier this year, Rubin insured the construction of two Harpsichord-2R-PM vehicles. The insurance covers, among other things, the testing of devices, which must pass in St. Petersburg and the Crimea.
reference Information
The Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering has announced a request for proposals for the insurance of two autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles Harpsichord-2R-PM. Maximum price the contract is 48 million rubles.
The devices "Harpsichord-2R-PM" will be insured for the time:
- shipbuilding and installation works(St. Petersburg, st.Marata, d. 90)
- testing (St. Petersburg, the Republic of Crimea, the Black Sea)
- transportation across the territory of Russia
The contract must cover the risks of death and damage due to design errors, as well as during construction, launching, sea trials. The contract for the carriage of the vessel must be concluded "with responsibility for all risks." In addition, the risks of additional costs incurred in the performance of shipbuilding works will be insured. The insured value of one device is 300 million rubles.
Applications for participation in the request for proposals can be submitted until February 24. The results are planned to be summed up on March 9, it follows from the procurement documentation.
According to the attached tender documents, AUV "Klavesin-2R-PM" is being created by CDB MT "Rubin" in order to fulfill its obligations under the state contract No. 748/31 / 664PM-2009 / 27-09 dated 19.05.2009 with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
AUV includes a frame (supporting frame), its propulsion system, containers with equipment and batteries, additional equipment and buoyancy units.
Tactical and technical indicators
AUV dimensions according to the project, mm: | length - about 6,500; diameter - about 1,000 |
Weight in air, kg | about 3 700 |
Maximum cruising range, km | about 50 |
Diving depth, m | about 2000 (when testing on the Black Sea - about 500 m.) |
Tests of the newest unmanned robotic complex "Harpsichord-2" began at the maritime range in the Crimea. The complex has already received the official military index 2P52, which means a high degree of readiness for adoption. In the future, the Feodosia test site will be used for testing marine robotic systems... According to experts, its return to service will allow faster testing and commissioning of new equipment for the Navy.
As Izvestia was told in the Main Command of the Navy, the underwater robotic complex 2P52 (also known as "Harpsichord-2") is being tested at the Feodosia naval training ground. A special experimental vessel of project 20360OS "Viktor Cherokov", recently transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, is participating in the tests.
"Harpsichord-2R" is the second generation of the family of domestic autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (AUV). It is larger and more massive than its predecessor - "Harpsichord-1", which in appearance and dimensions resembles a torpedo.
Outwardly, AUV 2R52 looks like a miniature submarine about 7 m long and about 1 m in diameter. On top it has a small superstructure-ledge. The mass of the apparatus is about 4 tons. The immersion depth is up to 6000 m. It is believed that due to the increase in size, it was possible to increase its autonomy. Also "Harpsichord-2" carries more modern and perfect equipment than the first model.
Special nuclear submarines will be used to deliver the 2R52 AUV to the work site. New drones should be part of the equipment of the modernized Nuclear submarine 949AM and converted nuclear submarine special purpose project 09787 BS-64 "Moscow region".
In a given area, the drone is separated from the carrier and begins to work according to a pre-compiled program. Its estimated range is up to 50 km. If necessary, the operator can give underwater robot new tasks. "Harpsichord-2" can carry a variety of equipment - sonars, electromagnetic sensors, video cameras.
"Harpsichord-2" is a multipurpose apparatus capable of solving a wide range of tasks in the interests of the Navy, said independent naval expert Alexander Mozgovoy.
This complex can examine the bottom at great depths, which allows you to search and collect various items, such as ammunition debris, the expert explained. - Also, "Harpsichords" are able to conduct reconnaissance of the underwater situation, collect data on the topography of the bottom in the interests of ship groups or other robotic systems.
To test the new "Harpsichord" used the site Crimean coast with unique hydrological properties near Feodosia. A complex bottom landscape with great depths has formed in the area of an extinct volcano that has sunk under the water. It also hosts live gunfire and naval exercises of ships and submarines Of the Black Sea Fleet.
As Alexander Mozgovoy explained, it is Crimea that is likely to become the main place for testing new Russian robotic systems and other equipment for the Navy.
The climate and weather conditions in this area allow us to carry out work almost all year round, which significantly speeds up the tests, the expert noted. - Special ships are already based there, there is the necessary equipment.
In the Soviet Union, the Feodosia test site was the main site for testing the naval weapons. There they tested new torpedoes, depth charges, etc. In addition, sea trials of promising submarines were carried out. Currently, active work is underway to turn Feodosia into the main platform for testing naval weapons and other systems. As Izvestia previously wrote, special ships, such as Seliger or Viktor Cherokov, have already been transferred there. The equipment of the latter includes a remotely controlled underwater vehicle, as well as mechanisms for lifting parts of exploded torpedoes and debris of damaged targets from the bottom. The state-of-the-art autonomous weather station "Periscope" installed on board monitors the weather on the vessel's route and generates short-term forecasts.
To solve some problems, various remotely controlled systems with a complex necessary equipment... So, for the study of the seabed and the study of bottom objects, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles can be used. Systems of this class are being actively developed by domestic enterprises. In recent years, several such complexes have been created by the efforts of several organizations. Two of them belong to a family called "Harpsichord".
AUV "Harpsichord-1R"
The first representative of the new family was the apparatus "Harpsichord-1R". According to available data, the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle "Klavesin-1R" was developed by the Institute of Marine Technology Problems of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPMT FEB RAS, Vladivostok). The goal of the project was to create a special tool suitable for performing different tasks at different depths. The development was carried out both in the interests of scientific organizations and for the relevant structures of the military department. The project provided for the possibility of studying the environment and individual objects using a set of onboard equipment. The device received automated system control with the ability to receive new commands from the control panel.
AUV "Harpsichord-1R" before launching into the water. Photo by IPMT FEB RAS / Imtp.febras.ru
Based on the requirements and expected features of the application, the authors of the project used some proven ideas and solutions. In particular, outwardly the product "Harpsichord-1R" resembles a torpedo of slightly increased dimensions. All main units are housed inside a cylindrical body. The head of the vehicle is covered with a hemispherical fairing, in the stern there is a tapering unit on which the so-called. propulsion complex. The length of the "Harpsichord-1R" is 5.8 m, the body diameter is 900 mm. The mass of the apparatus in the air is 2.5 tons.
AUV "Harpsichord-1R" has a robust body that ensures the operation of all units at great depths. The design features allow diving to depths of up to 6 km. The device is equipped with four electric motors located on the columns of the rear of the hull. Each of them rotates its own propeller. Available power units allow speeds up to 1.5 m / s (2.9 knots). The rechargeable batteries provide a cruising range of up to 300 km.
The underwater vehicle received an automated software control system. In the course of preparation for immersion, a program is loaded into the automation of the product, according to which further work is carried out. In this case, the possibility of correcting the loaded program is provided. For this, the control complex located on board the carrier vessel can use a hydroacoustic communication channel. After updating the program, the AUV "Harpsichord-1R" can immediately proceed to the required actions.
The device is being tested. Photo Svpressa.ru
On board the underwater vehicle there is a set of various equipment designed to survey the surrounding objects and collect the necessary information. In different parts of the robust hull, side-scan sonars, an electromagnetic seeker, a digital video camera with signal processing means, an acoustic profiler, as well as temperature and electrical conductivity sensors of the seawater are mounted.
The main means of observing the surrounding space, capable of operating in various conditions and used to detect various objects, is a side-looking hydroacoustic locator. There is a possibility of using the high-frequency and low-frequency modes of the station. The low frequency mode allows you to view an 800 m wide strip. When using high frequency oscillations, the bandwidth is reduced to 200 m.
Other onboard equipment allows various measurements and parameters to be determined environment... Bathymetric research of reservoirs and their bottom, acoustic sounding of the bottom soil or video filming of detected objects can also be performed. With the help of onboard equipment "Harpsichord-1R" can both find and examine various objects located at the bottom. It is possible to study point and extended objects.
Control panel of the "Harpsichord-1R" complex. Photo by IPMT FEB RAS / Imtp.febras.ru
The operation of the underwater vehicle is controlled by a remote control located on board the carrier vessel. The equipment of the console allows for preliminary preparation before diving, including the introduction of work program, monitor the operation of all systems, receive some data, as well as correct the specified program and transmit updated instructions to the device.
The AUV project "Harpsichord-1R" was developed in the middle of the last decade, and soon it was brought to the assembly of experimental equipment with its subsequent tests. Later, the prototype was used in various operations, the purpose of which was to conduct research or search for some objects. It is known that during the tests, the prototype dived in the Sea of Japan, and also sank into the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-water trench. Trial operation was carried out in the Arctic regions. So, in 2007, the apparatus "Harpsichord-1R" was included in the scientific equipment used by the polar expedition "Arctic-2007". The bearer of the complex became nuclear icebreaker"Russia". Later, the AUV of a new type was used in a search operation in the Sea of Okhotsk. The purpose of this work was to search for a sunken radioisotope source.
At the end of 2008, domestic funds mass media posted some details research work in the arctic seas. The video camera of the device allowed the operators to see various inhabitants of the seabed, some of which later could not be identified even by specialists. However, the study of marine fauna was not the task of the operators of the complex.
Image of the object obtained with the "Harpsichord-1R" equipment. Photo by IPMT FEB RAS / Imtp.febras.ru
During the tests, the "Harpsichord-1R" complex confirmed the calculated characteristics, and, in addition, improved some indicators. So, during one of the dives, a depth of 6083 m was reached. In 2008, the device passed state tests, according to the results of which it was recommended for full operation. According to various sources, to date, the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle has been used several times for various studies in different seas.
AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM"
Probably, based on the results of testing and operation of the Harpsichord-1R underwater vehicle, it was decided to create new system of this class, intended for operation by special structures of the navy. In 2009, the Ministry of Defense formed the requirements for the new AUV and selected a developer. On May 19, 2009, an agreement was signed between the military department and the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering. By now new project was brought to the stage of testing at sea.
The second project of an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle was named "Harpsichord-2R-PM". According to reports, new development has the same goals and objectives as its predecessor. At the same time, the AUV of the second model should differ in slightly increased dimensions and a different composition of onboard equipment. Due to this, it becomes possible to increase the efficiency of prospecting and seabed research.
General view of the AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM". Photo Hisutton.com
There is some information about the construction of the apparatus "Harpsichord-2R-PM". According to these data, the main unit of the product is a rectangular frame designed for the installation of all major systems. Electronic equipment is mounted on it, power point, buoyancy blocks, etc. There is also a propulsion system in the stern, consisting of four engines with propellers. Protection against water is provided by a robust housing. The hull has a cylindrical shape with a streamlined bow and stern. On the upper surface of the hull, a superstructure protrusion of great length and low height is provided.
The length of the AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM" reaches 6.5 m, the diameter of the body is 1 m. The weight is approximately equal to 3.7 tons. The speed parameters of the apparatus, according to various sources, are approximately equal to those of its predecessor. At the same time, the cruising range was reduced to 50 km. The strength of the hull allows you to dive to a depth of 6 km. Several months ago, it was reported that the device was already able to dive to a depth of 500 m.
The exact composition of the onboard equipment of the new underwater vehicle is unknown. Probably, it was decided to keep the general architecture of the previous project, but at the same time to increase the efficiency of work by using equipment of new models with improved characteristics. An increase in autonomy is also announced in comparison with the AUV "Harpsichord-1R". Such data may indicate the preservation of the existing management principles, due to which the work should be carried out according to a previously drawn up program with the possibility of its correction at any time.
By now, an experimental technique of the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" type has entered the tests. The beginning of the checks was preceded by the appearance of some documents disclosing the details of the project. In particular, in February of this year, CDB MT "Rubin" announced a request for proposals for the insurance of experimental equipment of a new type. A month after that, it was planned to choose a company that was to insure two experimental underwater vehicles. The document also indicated that the construction of the equipment was carried out in St. Petersburg, and tests are planned in St. Petersburg and in the Crimea, on the Black Sea. The insured value of one AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM" was determined at 300 million rubles.
In early June 2016, the management of CDB MT "Rubin" spoke about the imminent completion of work on the new project. From the published data, it followed that by now the prototypes were tested and tested in the Black Sea. It was also noted that during this stage of checks, the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" will be able to reach a depth of about 500 m. Diving to great depths at the Black Sea test site is simply impossible.
In the foreseeable future, industry and navy specialists will have to complete all the necessary work on the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" project. After that, the experienced equipment, having passed state tests, can be adopted by the navy. Earlier, some information about the possible use of new technology appeared in the public domain. Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles will be included in the onboard equipment of nuclear submarines upgraded under Project 949AM. In addition, they will become a standard tool for studying the situation of special purpose nuclear submarines BS-64 "Podmoskovye" of project 09787.
The development of promising autonomous underwater vehicles makes it possible to give the fleet and scientific organizations new complexes capable of monitoring and reconnaissance in various regions of the World Ocean at different depths. Provides the ability to monitor the situation using hydroacoustic locators, as well as some other equipment. When approaching the minimum distance, new devices can use video cameras. An important advantage of new domestic developments is the possibility of autonomous operation without constant control from the carrier.
The supposed architecture of the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" apparatus. Figure Hisutton.com
To date, one of the devices of the "Harpsichord" family has passed all the necessary tests and was recommended for full operation. Two prototypes of the AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM" are currently being tested, which in the future will determine their real future. In the absence of major problems and at the required pace, the tests can be completed within the next few months. Thanks to this in the near future Navy will be able to obtain new special equipment that simplifies the solution of some special problems. Nevertheless, due to the specific purpose of the new technology, the details of its operation will remain secret for a long time.
Based on materials from sites:
http://imtp.febras.ru/
http://ckb-rubin.ru/
http://i-mash.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://hisutton.com/
JSC " The Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering has announced a request for proposals for the insurance of two autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles "Klavesin-2R-PM". The maximum contract price is 48 million rubles.
A autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle of the "Harpsichord-1R" type developedInstitute for Problems of Marine Technologies, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPMT FEB RAS), 2007 (c) Free Press / svpressa.ru
Devices "Harpsichord-2R-PM" will be insured for a period of time:
carrying out shipbuilding and installation works (St. Petersburg, Marata st., 90);
testing (St. Petersburg, the Republic of Crimea, the Black Sea);
transportation across the territory of Russia.
The contract must cover the risks of death and damage due to design errors, as well as during construction, launching, sea trials. The contract for the carriage of the vessel must be concluded "with responsibility for all risks." In addition, the risks of additional costs incurred in the performance of shipbuilding works will be insured. The insured value of one device is 300 million rubles.
Applications for participation in the request for proposals can be submitted until February 24. The results are planned to be summed up on March 9, it follows from the procurement documentation.
According to the attached tender documents, AUV "Klavesin-2R-PM" is being created by CDB MT "Rubin" in order to fulfill its obligations under the state contract No. 748/31 / 664PM-2009 / 27-09 dated 19.05.2009 with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
ANPA includes a frame (supporting frame), its propulsion system, containers with equipment and batteries, additional equipment and buoyancy blocks;
AUV dimensions according to the project:
length - about 6 500 mm,
diameter - about 1,000 mm;
Weight in the air - about 3,700 kg,
Maximum cruising range - about 50 km,
Diving depth - about 2000 m, (when testing in accordance with the depths of the test site on the Black Sea - about 500 m).
Bmpd's comment. A Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (AUV) of the "Harpsichord-2R" type are created by the Central Design Bureau MTRubin together withInstitute of Marine Technology Problems of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPMT FEB RAS, Vladivostok), and, according to known information, are further development developed by the aforementioned institute AUV"Harpsichord-1R". According to previously published open tender documents, ANPA"Harpsichord-2R" will be part of the equipment complex of the upgraded nuclear submarines of project 949AM and the converted nuclear submarine of special purpose of project 09787 BS-64 "Moscow Region".
According to official figuresIPMT FEB RAS, ANPA"Harpsichord-1R", also created by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense, isa deep-water multipurpose complex equipped with modern means of autonomous and hydroacoustic navigation and communication, a reconfigurable control system, target equipment for performing search and survey work, surveying and mapping the seabed. Passed experimental tests in the Sea of Japan and the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-water trench, pilot operation on the continental shelf in the Arctic and in the search for a sunken radioisotope source in the Sea of Okhotsk.
In 2007, AUV "Harpsichord-1R" was used from the board of a nuclear-powered icebreaker "Russia" in the polar expedition "Arctic-2007", and completed State tests in 2008.
For AUV "Harpsichord-1R" IPMT FEB RAS
But to solve some problems, various remotely controlled systems with a set of necessary equipment can also be used.
So, for the study of the seabed and the study of bottom objects, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles can be used. Systems of this class are being actively developed by domestic enterprises. In recent years, several such complexes have been created by the efforts of several organizations.
Two of them belong to a family called "Harpsichord".
AUV "Harpsichord-1R"
The first representative of the new family was the apparatus "Harpsichord-1R". According to available data, the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle "Klavesin-1R" was developed by the Institute of Marine Technology Problems of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPMT FEB RAS, Vladivostok). The goal of the project was to create a special tool suitable for performing various tasks at different depths. The development was carried out both in the interests of scientific organizations and for the relevant structures of the military department. The project provided for the possibility of studying the environment and individual objects using a set of onboard equipment. The device received an automated control system with the ability to receive new commands from the control panel.
AUV "Harpsichord-1R" before launching into the water. Photo by IPMT FEB RAS / Imtp.febras.ru
Based on the requirements and expected features of the application, the authors of the project used some proven ideas and solutions. In particular, outwardly the product "Harpsichord-1R" resembles a torpedo of slightly increased dimensions. All main units are housed inside a cylindrical body. The head of the vehicle is covered with a hemispherical fairing, in the stern there is a tapering unit on which the so-called. propulsion complex. The length of the "Harpsichord-1R" is 5.8 m, the body diameter is 900 mm. The mass of the apparatus in the air is 2.5 tons.
AUV "Harpsichord-1R" has a robust body that ensures the operation of all units at great depths. The design features allow diving to depths of up to 6 km. The device is equipped with four electric motors located on the columns of the rear of the hull. Each of them rotates its own propeller. Available power units allow speeds up to 1.5 m / s (2.9 knots). The rechargeable batteries provide a cruising range of up to 300 km.
The underwater vehicle received an automated software control system. In the course of preparation for immersion, a program is loaded into the automation of the product, according to which further work is carried out. In this case, the possibility of correcting the loaded program is provided. For this, the control complex located on board the carrier vessel can use a hydroacoustic communication channel. After updating the program, the AUV "Harpsichord-1R" can immediately proceed to the required actions.
The device is being tested. Photo Svpressa.ru
On board the underwater vehicle there is a set of various equipment designed to survey the surrounding objects and collect the necessary information. In different parts of the robust hull, side-scan sonars, an electromagnetic seeker, a digital video camera with signal processing means, an acoustic profiler, as well as temperature and electrical conductivity sensors of the seawater are mounted.
The main means of observing the surrounding space, capable of operating in various conditions and used to detect various objects, is a side-looking hydroacoustic locator. There is a possibility of using the high-frequency and low-frequency modes of the station. The low frequency mode allows you to view an 800 m wide strip. When using high frequency oscillations, the bandwidth is reduced to 200 m.
Other onboard equipment allows for various measurements and determination of environmental parameters. Bathymetric research of reservoirs and their bottom, acoustic sounding of the bottom soil or video filming of detected objects can also be performed. With the help of onboard equipment "Harpsichord-1R" can both find and examine various objects located at the bottom. It is possible to study point and extended objects.
Control panel of the "Harpsichord-1R" complex. Photo by IPMT FEB RAS / Imtp.febras.ru
The operation of the underwater vehicle is controlled by a remote control located on board the carrier vessel. The equipment of the console allows for preliminary preparation before diving, including entering the work program, monitoring the operation of all systems, receiving some data, as well as adjusting the set program and transmitting updated instructions to the apparatus.
The AUV project "Harpsichord-1R" was developed in the middle of the last decade, and soon it was brought to the assembly of experimental equipment with its subsequent tests. Later, the prototype was used in various operations, the purpose of which was to conduct research or search for some objects. It is known that during the tests, the prototype dived in the Sea of Japan, and also sank into the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-water trench. Trial operation was carried out in the Arctic regions. So, in 2007, the apparatus "Harpsichord-1R" was included in the scientific equipment used by the polar expedition "Arctic-2007". The nuclear-powered icebreaker Rossiya became the carrier of the complex. Later, the AUV of a new type was used in a search operation in the Sea of Okhotsk. The purpose of this work was to search for a sunken radioisotope source.
At the end of 2008, the domestic media published some details of research work in the Arctic seas. The video camera of the device allowed the operators to see various inhabitants of the seabed, some of which later could not be identified even by specialists. However, the study of marine fauna was not the task of the operators of the complex.
Image of the object obtained with the "Harpsichord-1R" equipment. Photo by IPMT FEB RAS / Imtp.febras.ru
During the tests, the "Harpsichord-1R" complex confirmed the calculated characteristics, and, in addition, improved some indicators. So, during one of the dives, a depth of 6083 m was reached. In 2008, the device passed state tests, according to the results of which it was recommended for full operation. According to various sources, to date, the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle has been used several times for various studies in different seas.
AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM"
Probably, based on the results of testing and operation of the Harpsichord-1R underwater vehicle, it was decided to create a new system of this class, intended for operation by special structures of the Navy. In 2009, the Ministry of Defense formed the requirements for the new AUV and selected a developer. On May 19, 2009, an agreement was signed between the military department and the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering. To date, the new project has been brought to the stage of testing at sea.
The second project of an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle was named "Harpsichord-2R-PM". According to reports, the new development has the same goals and objectives as its predecessor. At the same time, the AUV of the second model should differ in slightly increased dimensions and a different composition of onboard equipment. Due to this, it becomes possible to increase the efficiency of prospecting and seabed research.
General view of the AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM". Photo Hisutton.com
There is some information about the construction of the apparatus "Harpsichord-2R-PM". According to these data, the main unit of the product is a rectangular frame designed for the installation of all major systems. Electronic equipment, power plant, buoyancy blocks, etc. are mounted on it. There is also a propulsion system in the stern, consisting of four engines with propellers. Protection against water is provided by a robust housing. The hull has a cylindrical shape with a streamlined bow and stern. On the upper surface of the hull, a superstructure protrusion of great length and low height is provided.
The length of the AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM" reaches 6.5 m, the diameter of the body is 1 m. The weight is approximately 3.7 tons. The speed parameters of the apparatus, according to various sources, are approximately equal to those of its predecessor. At the same time, the cruising range was reduced to 50 km. The strength of the hull allows you to dive to a depth of 6 km. Several months ago, it was reported that the device was already able to dive to a depth of 500 m.
The exact composition of the onboard equipment of the new underwater vehicle is unknown. Probably, it was decided to keep the general architecture of the previous project, but at the same time to increase the efficiency of work by using equipment of new models with improved characteristics. An increase in autonomy is also announced in comparison with the AUV "Harpsichord-1R". Such data may indicate the preservation of the existing management principles, due to which the work should be carried out according to a previously drawn up program with the possibility of its correction at any time.
By now, an experimental technique of the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" type has entered the tests. The beginning of the checks was preceded by the appearance of some documents disclosing the details of the project. In particular, in February of this year, CDB MT "Rubin" announced a request for proposals for the insurance of experimental equipment of a new type. A month after that, it was planned to choose a company that was to insure two experimental underwater vehicles. The document also indicated that the construction of the equipment was carried out in St. Petersburg, and tests are planned in St. Petersburg and in the Crimea, on the Black Sea. The insured value of one AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM" was determined at 300 million rubles.
In early June 2016, the management of CDB MT "Rubin" spoke about the imminent completion of work on the new project. From the published data, it followed that by now the prototypes were tested and tested in the Black Sea. It was also noted that during this stage of checks, the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" will be able to reach a depth of about 500 m. Diving to great depths at the Black Sea test site is simply impossible.
In the foreseeable future, industry and navy specialists will have to complete all the necessary work on the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" project. After that, the experienced equipment, having passed state tests, can be adopted by the navy. Earlier, some information about the possible use of new technology appeared in the public domain. Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles will be included in the onboard equipment of nuclear submarines upgraded under Project 949AM. In addition, they will become a standard tool for studying the situation of special purpose nuclear submarines BS-64 "Podmoskovye" of project 09787.
The development of promising autonomous underwater vehicles makes it possible to provide the fleet and scientific organizations with new complexes capable of monitoring and reconnaissance in various regions of the World Ocean at different depths. Provides the ability to monitor the situation using hydroacoustic locators, as well as some other equipment. When approaching the minimum distance, new devices can use video cameras. An important advantage of new domestic developments is the possibility of autonomous operation without constant control from the carrier.
The supposed architecture of the "Harpsichord-2R-PM" apparatus. Figure Hisutton.com
To date, one of the devices of the "Harpsichord" family has passed all the necessary tests and was recommended for full operation. Two prototypes of the AUV "Harpsichord-2R-PM" are currently being tested, which in the future will determine their real future. In the absence of major problems and at the required pace, the tests can be completed within the next few months. Thanks to this, in the near future, the navy will be able to receive new special equipment that simplifies the solution of some special tasks. Nevertheless, due to the specific purpose of the new technology, the details of its operation will remain secret for a long time.