ROV with explosives seen near Nord Stream pipeline
Published by Elizabeth Corner,
Senior Editor
World Pipelines,
An unmanned military underwater vehicle rigged with explosives was spotted on the seabed in the vicinity of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltics on Friday, according to Swedish media.
The abandoned expendable remotely-operated mine clearance underwater vehicle allegedly with explosives onboard was detected in multinational waters of the Baltic Sea by the Swedish Navy.
The discovery was made during a routine check of the Nord Stream pipeline.
The type of ROV found near Gotland is typically used to disarm big unremovable munitions found on seabed, as the drone is blown up along with the dangerous object.
Although there is every indication that the UUV carries an explosive charge, the Swedish military believe it cannot do any harm.
“We don't consider it to be dangerous to merchant vessels or the pipeline at this point,” Jesper Stolpe, Swedish Armed Forces spokesman, told press.
The national identity of the drone has not been verified so far.
An attempt to disarm the UUV or take it away from the pipeline is going to be made today.
Edited from various sources by Elizabeth Corner
Sources: Reuters, Sputnik News
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/09112015/rov-with-explosives-seen-near-nord-stream-pipeline/
You might also like
World Pipelines Podcast: Going global with IPLOCA
In this episode, Elizabeth Corner speaks to Georges Hage, Executive Secretary at IPLOCA, about IPLOCA's insights on the culture and characteristics of the pipeline contractor community, and how it works to support sustainable energy infrastructure.
Energy industry faces short-term instability, yet remains optimistic about long-term prospects, DNV report reveals
The energy industry is braced for short-term uncertainty caused by global instability, but remains optimistic in the long-term, according to DNV’s annual Energy Industry Insights survey.
