Multi-mission underwater craft serves fed agencies.

• Author: Williams, Robert H.
• Position: TECH TALK

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Remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, are giving several federal agencies unprecedented acuity in underwater scenarios. One of the vehicles, made by JW Fishers Mfg. inc. of East Taunton, Mass., is the SeaLion ROV, which is powered by a six-motor system. It can be equipped with a variety of tools and sensors.

For example, one of the variants of the SeaLion includes a metal detector that can find bombs. mines, unexploded ordnance and...