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Underwater · Autonomous underwater vehicle

Gavia AUV

A modular portable AUV with named naval deliveries and a configurable survey sensor suite.

Role & capabilities

  • Underwater survey
  • Environmental assessment
In service / use documentedIn service / use documented
Primary domain
Underwater
System type
Autonomous underwater vehicle
Developer / manufacturer
Teledyne Gavia
Origin / production countries
Iceland
Other names
No additional names recorded
Variants / configurations
Not distinguished in reviewed sources
Operators / programme customers
Swedish Armed Forces

Evidence & current status

Unreported specifications and model-specific operator acceptance remain explicit uncertainties.

Gavia is an Iceland-developed modular underwater survey vehicle used in military, commercial and scientific work. Sections containing batteries, navigation equipment and mission sensors can be changed between deployments, allowing one system architecture to support different survey requirements. Side-scan sonar, mapping equipment and environmental instruments are among the available payloads. Its small diameter and shore or small-vessel handling options place it below the larger Osprey and SeaRaptor in Teledyne's portfolio.

The manufacturer gives a range of vehicle lengths and masses rather than one fixed fit. Typical duration is stated per rechargeable battery module and decreases when the full sensor suite is active. Adding modules changes more than endurance: the physical handling baseline also needs to be checked. Separate 500- and 1,000-metre depth configurations are offered.

Naval maturity is supported by specific announcements. In January 2026 Teledyne reported delivery of four vehicles to Sweden's FMV; a March follow-on order described the initial systems as delivered in 2025. That difference reflects announcement timing rather than a second four-vehicle shipment. Neither release assigns the complete generic specification table to Sweden's precise fitted configuration.

Sourced specifications

Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.

SpecificationReported valueContext & source
ConfigurationNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
Hull / propulsionNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
Dimensions1.8–4.5 m long; 200 mm diameterPublished baseline; configuration and mission conditions affect performance. Source ↗
Displacement / mass50–130 kg in airPublished baseline; configuration and mission conditions affect performance. Source ↗
PayloadNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
EnduranceTypical 7–8 h at 3 knots per battery module; 5–6 h with all sensorsBattery-module count, sensors and speed change duration. Source ↗
RangeNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
SpeedNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
Operating depth500 m or 1,000 m configurationPublished baseline; configuration and mission conditions affect performance. Source ↗
SensorsNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
Communications / controlDVL-aided INS; acoustic, surface WLAN and Iridium linksPublished baseline; configuration and mission conditions affect performance. Source ↗
Launch / deploymentNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗

Documented milestones

  1. Swedish follow-on order

    Additional vehicles and modules ordered following the initial 2025 delivery.

    Read the announcement ↗
  2. Swedish delivery announced

    Teledyne reported the first four Gavia systems delivered to FMV.

    Read the announcement ↗

Publication history

  • — Added in the September 2026 global coverage review, with sources, configuration limits and explicit data gaps.

Suggest a correction to this entry →

Follow the evidence

Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.

  1. Teledyne Gavia product specification (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer
  2. Swedish delivery announcement, January 2026 (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer
  3. Swedish follow-on order, March 2026 (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer

Explore the connections

Manufacturer indexIceland

Teledyne Gavia

Systems and source material associated with Teledyne Gavia.

Reviewed 21 Sept 2026Read