The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has trialled an underwater robot, which is designed to prevent adversaries from sabotaging underseas cables and pipelines.

A commercially available remotely operated vehicle (ROV) has been adapted by Dstl and industry partners to deal with sabotage threats and clear legacy unexploded ordnance.

A number of systems have been incorporated to allow the ROV to detect unexploded ordnance and remotely place explosive charges to enable safe neutralisation.

The robot is able to operate at depths greater than divers can reach, and it can also work there safely for much longer. It can be launched from a ship or a shoreline and is operated remotely, feeding video and sonar images back to the operators.

The new technology will now work in partnership with other robots to scan the seabed for hazards and will be able to deal with them once one is spotted.

Dstl explosives engineer John said: “This technology would be a valuable toolset for keeping our Armed Forces safe whilst providing the public with value for money.

This unique capability with its sensors, tools and cameras will give operators a real time ability to deal with these underwater hazards in a safe, effective and efficient way.”