Kongsberg Discovery Expands Multibeam Echosounder Portfolio

Kongsberg Discovery has launched two new variants of its EM2042 multibeam echosounder, extending high-resolution seabed mapping capabilities to deep-rated subsea vehicles and naval operations.

The new EM2042 DR600 and EM2042 BNS build on the existing EM2042 platform and its next-generation acoustic architecture, targeting deepwater unmanned platforms and defense environments, respectively.

The EM2042 DR600 is engineered for underwater vehicles including autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), remotely operated towed vehicles (ROTVs) and submarines. The system is depth-rated to 600 meters, featuring a pressure-resistant titanium housing and subsea-qualified electronics.

It retains the performance of the standard EM2042 while being optimized for subsea vehicles with limited power budgets. The system offers a dual receiver and single transmitter configuration, enabling up to 220 degrees of swath coverage on subsea platforms.

Other features include multi-transmitter and multisector technology, full 4D motion compensation for mapping on maneuvering vehicles, and QuadSwath-ready capability to increase coverage and operational speed.

“EM2042 DR600 brings world class depth-rated performance in a vehicle agnostic package suitable for a huge range of applications. It gives operators a new capacity to dive deeper, especially with autonomous assets, and achieve ultra-high-resolution mapping results with speed and precision they can trust. This is an