''Echo Ranger'' is a marine

autonomous underwater vehicle An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a robot that travels underwater without requiring continuous input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of undersea systems known as unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification tha ...

(AUV) built by

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

. Originally built in 2001 to capture high-resolution

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...

images of sea beds for oil and natural gas companies, such as the Exxon Mobil Corporation, ''Echo Ranger'' underwent testing for possible use by the military. Among its possible military uses are to stalk targets in enemy waters, patrol local harbors to detect national security threats, and scour ocean floors to detect environmental hazards. The submersible weighs more than five tons (4.5 metric tons), is long and is able to descend to .

Sources

Hennigan, W., J., "Boeing tests submarine drone off Santa Catalina Island," ''Los Angeles Times'', August 19, 2001.auvac.org AUV System Spec Sheet: Echo Ranger platform

Robotic submarines 2001 ships {{submarine-stub

See also

Sources