The Hydrographic Institute has launched four oceanic gliders to support the REPMUS 26

On 10 August, a team from the Hydrographic Institute launched four Teledyne Slocum oceanic gliders as part of an international scientific and technological collaboration and in preparation for the REPMUS 26 exercise.

Over the next few weeks, the four vehicles will navigate autonomously, taking repeated profiles of the water column and collecting oceanographic data, particularly on temperature and salinity. This information will improve the characterisation of oceanographic conditions in the operational area, contributing to knowledge of the maritime environment and the planning of activities to be carried out within the framework of REPMUS 26.

Gliders are autonomous underwater vehicles designed for long-term ocean observation. Through controlled changes in buoyancy, they perform successive movements of descent and ascent in the water column, converting them into horizontal displacement. This operating mode, characterised by low energy consumption, enables long-duration missions and the collection of oceanographic information over extensive areas.

Periodically, the gliders return to the surface to transmit the data collected and receive new instructions, enabling their mission to be monitored and adjusted remotely.

The launch operation was carried out in coordination with the team responsible for monitoring, piloting and remote control of the vehicles, enabling the start of the mission to be monitored in real time and ensuring the correct entry into operation of the platforms.

This operation reinforces the Hydrographic Institute's participation in international initiatives in the fields of oceanography and marine autonomous systems, while also contributing to the development and consolidation of Hydrographic Institute's capacity to operate and support ocean observation missions using autonomous platforms.