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Kongsberg Discovery Expands Multibeam for Naval, Deepwater Missions
New EM2042 variants deliver 600 m depth rating and naval-grade robustness for subsea vehicles and defence platforms.
www.kongsberg.com
EM2042 BNS, a naval-optimised multibeam solution developed to enable optimal underwater domain awareness, critical infrastructure protection, rapid environment assessments and a wide range of defence applications.
Naval operations, subsea inspection, offshore energy and ocean science increasingly rely on high-resolution seabed mapping and underwater domain awareness. With the introduction of the EM2042 DR600 and EM2042 BNS, Kongsberg Discovery extends its multibeam echosounder portfolio to address deepwater autonomous platforms and demanding defence environments while building on its established EM2042 acoustic architecture.
The two new variants were presented at Oceanology International in London, highlighting their role in expanding scalable multibeam sonar capabilities across subsea and naval applications.
Deep-rated multibeam for autonomous subsea platforms
The EM2042 DR600 is engineered for underwater vehicles operating at depth, including AUVs, ROVs, ROTVS and submarines. With a depth rating of 600 m enabled by a pressure-resistant titanium housing and subsea-qualified electronics, the system maintains the performance level of the standard EM2042 while addressing the constraints of deep unmanned platforms.
Designed for energy-efficient operation, the DR600 supports platforms with limited onboard power budgets. Its vehicle-agnostic architecture and single-cable connectivity simplify integration across different subsea vehicles.
The system features a dual receiver (RX) and single transmitter (TX) configuration, enabling up to 220° swath coverage on subsea platforms. Multi-transmitter and multisector technology, combined with full 4D motion compensation, supports precise seabed mapping even on manoeuvring vehicles. The DR600 is also QuadSwath-ready, increasing coverage and reducing survey time in deepwater mapping missions.
According to Jose Cordero, Product Manager at Kongsberg Discovery, the DR600 provides depth-rated performance in a flexible configuration suitable for a wide range of autonomous and remotely operated applications.
EM2042 DR600, engineered specifically for underwater vehicles and deep unmanned platforms.
Naval multibeam for underwater domain awareness
The EM2042 BNS variant is optimized for naval and defence applications requiring robust operation in harsh environments. The system is designed to support underwater domain awareness, critical infrastructure protection and rapid environmental assessment.
Built to military-grade robustness standards, the BNS combines high-resolution bathymetry with co-registered backscatter data. This enables accurate seabed modelling, change detection and target tracking within the water column.
The system operates across a wideband frequency range of 150–700 kHz and incorporates advanced motion stabilisation. These capabilities support precise seabed mapping even on fast-moving or unstable platforms. A single-cable architecture reduces topside complexity, which is particularly relevant for submarine integration and naval retrofits.
Acoustic performance aligned with operational demands
Both variants share the next-generation acoustic platform of the EM2042 series while addressing distinct operational needs: depth-rated autonomous subsea vehicles and naval surface or submarine platforms.
The DR600 focuses on deepwater survey performance in a lightweight, power-efficient package, while the BNS variant emphasizes robustness, stability and wideband performance for defence environments. In both cases, the systems support high-resolution seabed mapping and improved mission efficiency through optimized integration and reduced installation complexity.
By expanding its multibeam sonar portfolio with these two variants, Kongsberg Discovery strengthens its position in deepwater survey, defence and offshore applications where reliable, high-resolution underwater sensing is critical for operational decision-making.
www.kongsberg.com
Naval operations, subsea inspection, offshore energy and ocean science increasingly rely on high-resolution seabed mapping and underwater domain awareness. With the introduction of the EM2042 DR600 and EM2042 BNS, Kongsberg Discovery extends its multibeam echosounder portfolio to address deepwater autonomous platforms and demanding defence environments while building on its established EM2042 acoustic architecture.
The two new variants were presented at Oceanology International in London, highlighting their role in expanding scalable multibeam sonar capabilities across subsea and naval applications.
Deep-rated multibeam for autonomous subsea platforms
The EM2042 DR600 is engineered for underwater vehicles operating at depth, including AUVs, ROVs, ROTVS and submarines. With a depth rating of 600 m enabled by a pressure-resistant titanium housing and subsea-qualified electronics, the system maintains the performance level of the standard EM2042 while addressing the constraints of deep unmanned platforms.
Designed for energy-efficient operation, the DR600 supports platforms with limited onboard power budgets. Its vehicle-agnostic architecture and single-cable connectivity simplify integration across different subsea vehicles.
The system features a dual receiver (RX) and single transmitter (TX) configuration, enabling up to 220° swath coverage on subsea platforms. Multi-transmitter and multisector technology, combined with full 4D motion compensation, supports precise seabed mapping even on manoeuvring vehicles. The DR600 is also QuadSwath-ready, increasing coverage and reducing survey time in deepwater mapping missions.
According to Jose Cordero, Product Manager at Kongsberg Discovery, the DR600 provides depth-rated performance in a flexible configuration suitable for a wide range of autonomous and remotely operated applications.
EM2042 DR600, engineered specifically for underwater vehicles and deep unmanned platforms.
Naval multibeam for underwater domain awareness
The EM2042 BNS variant is optimized for naval and defence applications requiring robust operation in harsh environments. The system is designed to support underwater domain awareness, critical infrastructure protection and rapid environmental assessment.
Built to military-grade robustness standards, the BNS combines high-resolution bathymetry with co-registered backscatter data. This enables accurate seabed modelling, change detection and target tracking within the water column.
The system operates across a wideband frequency range of 150–700 kHz and incorporates advanced motion stabilisation. These capabilities support precise seabed mapping even on fast-moving or unstable platforms. A single-cable architecture reduces topside complexity, which is particularly relevant for submarine integration and naval retrofits.
Acoustic performance aligned with operational demands
Both variants share the next-generation acoustic platform of the EM2042 series while addressing distinct operational needs: depth-rated autonomous subsea vehicles and naval surface or submarine platforms.
The DR600 focuses on deepwater survey performance in a lightweight, power-efficient package, while the BNS variant emphasizes robustness, stability and wideband performance for defence environments. In both cases, the systems support high-resolution seabed mapping and improved mission efficiency through optimized integration and reduced installation complexity.
By expanding its multibeam sonar portfolio with these two variants, Kongsberg Discovery strengthens its position in deepwater survey, defence and offshore applications where reliable, high-resolution underwater sensing is critical for operational decision-making.
www.kongsberg.com
