Swedish Navy Orders 10 Falcon ROVS

FMV, the Swedish Defence Material Administration, has ordered 10 Falcon ROVs, the biggest single order placed for the Saab Seaeye model.

The ROV was chosen by FMV for the Swedish Navy as the best underwater vehicle of its class for performance and price, the manufacturer said, adding that the contract follows orders from several other navies around the world this year.

Defence and security forces in many countries deploy the Falcon, which is also used in the energy and hydro industries and in marine science.

The Falcon combines intelligent control, thruster power and precise manoeuvrability into a small vehicle so it can operate sensors, tooling and complex systems typically found on much larger ROVs.

Easily manhandled into the water, it has five powerful thrusters that can operate in strong currents with precise control.

Its intelligent architecture means each device on the vehicle can have its own microprocessor for individual control and systems can be easily changed or added.

As a module-focussed concept, the Falcon generates automatic diagnostics on power-up to ensure each device is fully interfaced and working correctly.

The Swedish Navy’s model will have an enhanced surface control system for advanced operator control.