Russian underwater vehicle takes dive in Mariana Trench

Russian autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle named Vityaz has recently taken a dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

During the dive Vityaz installed a pendant at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, dedicated to the anniversary of the “Victory in the Great Patriotic War”, Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects said.

The underwater vehicle has also undertaken the mapping of the seabed along with photo and video recordings during the dive.

The Vityaz underwater vehicle was named in honor of the research vessel Vityaz, which for nearly 20 years was the flagship of the expeditionary fleet of the USSR.

The vehicle is capable of operating at the extreme ocean depths and conducting bathymetric surveys, sampling and sonar surveys along with measurements of hydrophysical parameters of the marine environment.

Vityaz operates completely autonomously.