The Petrel X3 is a submersible AIS-compatible beacon designed for short-range tracking and recovery of submerged defense assets. Operating as an AIS Aid to Navigation (AtoN), it transmits its position directly to nearby vessels’ AIS chartplotters without requiring external software, hardware, or subscription services. This allows for straightforward asset retrieval using existing shipboard navigation systems, reducing recovery time and simplifying logistics in offshore defense environments.
Built for deep-sea deployment, the Petrel X3 is submersible to 6000 meters and housed in a pressure-tolerant titanium and glass enclosure. Powered by three SAFT LSH20 lithium D-cell batteries, it enters a low-power sleep mode when underwater and activates at the surface to begin transmitting. Configuration is handled through a Bluetooth app, and a remote head variant is available for complex integration. Drawing on 18 years of oceanographic recovery experience, the system supports operational use cases such as year-long submersion followed by multi-day surface transmission.
Specifications:
| Length: | 28.49 cm (11.20”) - Tube 18.29 cm (7.20”) - Antenna |
| Diameter: | 5.08 cm (2.00”) |
| Weight: | 1839 g - in air 1264 g - in water |
| Battery Supply: | 3 SAFT LSH20 D-cell batteries |
| Depth Rating: | 6000 m |
| Power Consumption: | GPS Aquisition Mode 195 mW AIS Operation Mode 320 mW AIS Transmission (50ms duration) 1.45 W Underwater Mode 480 μW |
| Deployment Example: | 1 year subsurface 5 days at surface |
