AUV COMET-MCM —
the EOD diver's best ally.
A man-portable autonomous underwater vehicle built to support EOD divers. The COMET-MCM goes into the water first — surveying ahead with side-scan sonar and a magnetometer, running in swarm mode, and doubling as a positioning beacon or acoustic relay for the rest of the team.
Send the vehicle in before the diver.
The safest MCM mission is the one where the machine takes the first risk. The COMET-MCM surveys candidate contacts across a wide area before anyone enters the water, then stays in the fight as a positioning beacon and acoustic relay while divers re-acquire and neutralise. It is purpose-built around the EOD diver — not a survey AUV pressed into a role it was never designed for.
Wide-area search with side-scan and magnetometer
The COMET-MCM carries side-scan sonar and a magnetometer, mapping candidate contacts across a search box before a diver ever gets wet. Open navigation — GPS on the surface, INS and DVL beneath it — keeps the vehicle locked on its survey lines.
Run several together in swarm mode and a small team can compress hours of search into a coordinated, repeatable sweep.
Survey vehicle, positioning beacon, acoustic relay
When the survey is done, the COMET-MCM doesn't go home. It can hold station as a positioning beacon that fixes divers to precise coordinates, or act as an acoustic relay that extends the whole network's range — pushing the standard 2 km acoustic link out to as much as 5 km via a relay beacon.
It talks to the Surface Communication Module (SCM), to Positioning & Relay Beacons (PRB) and to the divers themselves — all linked by underwater acoustics — contributing its own navigation and sensor picture to the team.
See the Surface Communication Module →
How the COMET-MCM works with the team
Deploy
Two operators carry and launch the vehicle from a RHIB or the beach — no crane, no mine-hunter on station.
Survey
It runs side-scan and magnetometer lines solo or in a swarm, flagging candidate contacts across the search area.
Relay
It holds station as a positioning beacon and acoustic relay, locating divers and extending comms range.
Hand Off
SONADIVE divers re-acquire the flagged contacts, with the vehicle keeping them fixed and connected.
COMET-MCM specifications
Indicative configuration — final specification, payload fit and endurance confirmed at quotation.
- PlatformMan-portable AUV (COMET-300 family)
- Primary roleMCM survey supporting EOD divers
- Length~1900 mm nominal (sensor-dependent)
- Hull diameter150 mm
- Weight~35 kg (under 40 kg, two-man portable)
- Max depth300 m
- Max speed10 knots
- EnduranceUp to 20 h @ 3 kn / 7 h @ 7 kn
- Sea stateUp to Sea State 4
- Side-scan sonarKlein UUV-3500 (455 / 900 kHz)
- Other payloadsMagnetometer, HD low-light camera, CTD probe, obstacle-avoidance sonar
- NavigationGPS + INS + DVL
- Autonomy modesSolo & swarm (up to 10 AUVs, Sparse-LBL)
- Comms range2 km, extendable to 5 km via relay beacon
- Network rolesSurvey · positioning beacon · acoustic relay
- TeamingSCM, PRB beacons, SONADIVE divers
- DeploymentRHIB / shore, 2 operators, no crane
- Export statusITAR-free (EU / French export controls apply)
- OriginRTsys — Caudan, Brittany, France
Two operators carry it. No crane. In the water in minutes.
The COMET-MCM is sized for the way EOD teams actually work — out of a RHIB, off a beach, away from a dedicated mine-hunter. That means a navy can put autonomous survey wherever the threat is, not just where a large ship can reach.
From wide-area survey to diver support
Q-Route & Lane Survey
Clearing and verifying safe routes ahead of shipping and amphibious operations with repeatable autonomous survey.
See the MCM suite →
Diver Support & Relay
Holding station as a beacon and relay so SONADIVE divers stay located and connected on the contact.
Explore SONADIVE →
Harbour & Approach Search
Routine and threat survey around ports, anchorages and approaches where a single device can halt traffic.
See the MCM suite →A safe pair of hands for defence at sea
Authorised Distributor
We represent RTsys directly — specification, supply and through-life support, coordinated from Denmark.
Naval & EOD Focus
A portfolio assembled for navies, coast guards and EOD units — not adapted from civilian kit.
One Point of Contact
Multi-supplier defence systems, integrated and quoted as a single package by one partner.
Backed Through Life
Training, spares and support for the full operational life of the system.
Speak directly with our defence specialist
Every enquiry is handled directly and in confidence — you will normally have a reply within one business day.
For spec sheets, capability documents, pricing or to arrange a briefing or demonstration — on this system or any platform in the SepcoTech defence portfolio — contact me directly:
- Spec sheets & technical datasheets on request
- Briefings & demonstrations for units & agencies
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