Mini-Ranger 2 USBL is a compact underwater tracking, positioning, and communications system developed for offshore survey, marine robotics, defence, and nearshore subsea operations. Designed to provide survey-grade acoustic positioning without the complexity of large deepwater USBL systems, the platform supports tracking and communication with AUVs, ROVs, divers, towfish, USVs, and subsea assets across shallow to mid-depth operating environments. Combining portability, rapid deployment, and robotic capability, Mini-Ranger 2 is suited to environmental surveys, UXO operations, infrastructure inspection, coastal science, offshore renewables, and military diving applications.
Built around the HPT 3000 transceiver and Sonardyne’s Wideband 2 acoustic technology, the system delivers reliable positioning and telemetry performance even in challenging high-elevation and long layback operating scenarios. Straight out of the box, Mini-Ranger 2 supports underwater tracking and communications to 995 metres, with optional extended-range capability enabling operations to 4,000 metres where required. The system can track up to ten subsea targets simultaneously while supporting robust acoustic communications and marine robotics workflows through the optional Robotics software package.
Designed for portability and operational flexibility, Mini-Ranger 2 can be deployed from small survey vessels, moored barges, crewed platforms, and uncrewed surface vessels using pole-mounted, through-hull, or USV-integrated transceiver configurations. The system supports a broad range of Sonardyne 6G transponders and acoustic releases, enabling applications including diver tracking, AUV navigation aiding, seabed asset recovery, and coordinated multi-vehicle operations. With positioning repeatability down to 0.2% of slant range using an external MRU and acoustic update rates up to 3 Hz, Mini-Ranger 2 delivers precise subsea positioning performance while remaining simple to configure and operate.
