Slocum G3
A buoyancy-driven oceanographic glider with established naval use and configurable environmental sensing.
- Country / region
- United States
- Programme status
- In service / use documented
- Sources reviewed
- 20 Sept 2026
- Primary domain
- Underwater
- System type
- Underwater glider
- Developer / manufacturer
- Teledyne Webb Research
- Origin / production countries
- United States
- Other names
- Slocum G3 glider
- Variants / configurations
- Shallow-water G3 configuration; 1,000 m G3 configuration
- Operators / programme customers
- US Navy — Slocum family, model mix not established
Evidence & current status
G3 baseline specifications come from a brochure whose filename mentions G3S but whose document title is G3. G3, Sentinel and Navy Littoral Battlespace Sensing configurations are not treated as identical.
Role & capabilities
- Long-duration environmental observation
- Naval oceanographic data collection
- Configurable acoustic sensing
Specifications in context
- Configuration
- Autonomous buoyancy-driven underwater glider
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Hull / propulsion
- Buoyancy engine and wings; optional electric thruster
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Dimensions
- 1.5 m vehicle length; 0.22 m hull diameter
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Displacement / mass
- 55–70 kg, configuration dependent
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Payload
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted.
Source ↗ - Endurance
- Alkaline: 15–50 days; rechargeable lithium: 1–4 months; primary lithium: 4–18 months
Depends on battery option, sensors, sampling and communications.
Source ↗ - Range
- Alkaline: 350–1,200 km; rechargeable lithium: 700–3,000 km; primary lithium: 3,000–13,000 km
Different battery configurations; not simultaneous maximum endurance/range guarantees.
Source ↗ - Speed
- Average gliding 0.35 m/s; optional thruster up to 1 m/s
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Operating depth
- Selectable 4–150 m or 40–1,000 m operating bands
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Sensors
- Configurable oceanographic and acoustic sensors
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Communications / control
- RF, Iridium, ARGOS or acoustic options; periodic surfacing
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗ - Launch / deployment
- One or two-person deployment; optional launch/recovery equipment
Published specification for the cited configuration; payload, environment and speed affect performance.
Source ↗