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Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences and Rubin Design Bureau signed a cooperation agreement

Rubin Design Bureau and FPFIS Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences (IO RAS) signed a cooperation agreement today at the show Army-2024. The First Deputy Director General - Chief Engineer of Rubin Design Bureau Mr. Valentin Frolov and the Acting Director of IO RAS Mr. Vladimir Shevchenko put their signatures in the document.

The purpose of the agreement is cooperation in the field of development, market promotion and operation of underwater equipment for the World ocean exploration. The sides intend to develop the equipment for deep-sea oceanologic researches jointly and implement the projects on creation of marine robotics for the benefit of IO RAS and other agencies, whose activity is related to the ocean.

The oldest and the biggest Russian research centre in the field of oceanology, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology became the first designer of underwater vehicles in the USSR, including the world-known deep-sea manned vehicles MIR-1 and MIR-2 with diving depth up to 6000 meters. Institute has created and uses deep-sea bottom stations, which register magnetic, seismic and acoustic signals; remotely operated unmanned underwater vehicles (ROVs) GNOM for visual inspection with purposive sampling. IO RAS has developed and built autonomous vertical profilers of Aqualog series, which allow collecting hydrophysical and hydrochemical parameters of water. The Institute has developed, built and uses an underwater towed complex Videomodule for visual observations and route mapping of the bottom terrain and benthic fauna at maximum ocean depths.

The Rubin's experience in development of various types of underwater vehicles will facilitate in implementation of the agreement. In ten plus years, the design bureau has created ultralight, light and heavyweight vehicles for scientific research. In 2022, Rubin established the Marine Robotics Centre in the town of Kronshtadt with two building berths, machinery equipment and test benches in order to enhance its industrial capabilities. Rubin develops its robotic underwater systems in a fully digital environment, which reduces development time and makes it possible to avoid nearly all rejects during manufacturing of components and assembly of a vehicle. Full Ocean Depth (up to 12 km) vehicle Vityaz-D, which was designed and built by Rubin, was named after the first scientific research vessel of Institute of Oceanology Vityaz. She made 65 cruises for 30 years in operation.

Previously IO RAS jointly with Rubin Design Bureau participated in series of marine operations:

- five expeditions of scientific research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh with deep-sea manned vehicles MIR-1 and MIR-2 to the sunk nuclear submarine Komsomolets. Vehicles have surveyed the submarine and secured the damages obtained by the ship.

- survey of the sunk nuclear submarine Kursk using vehicles MIR-1 and MIR-2 from the vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh.

Famous Russian scientist Anatoly Sagalevich, who was present at the signing of the agreement today, made a great contribution to these works. Nowadays Anatoly Sagalevich is the head of the Deep Sea Manned Submersibles Laboratory of IO RAS.