Victor 6000

Victor 6000 is a deep-water remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operated by the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER). In service since 1999, it can reach depths up to 6,000 m (20,000 ft).

A 1⁄10 scale model of Victor 6000 at the Musée national de la Marine

Design

Victor 6000 is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) that weighs 4.6 t (4.5 long tons; 5.1 short tons) and measures 3.07 m (10.1 ft) long, 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in) high, and 2.14 m (7 ft 0 in) wide. It is capable of reaching depths of 6,000 m (20,000 ft). Victor 6000 is controlled and powered via a 8.5 km (5.3 mi) cable that connects it to its host ship, but can operate autonomously for 100 hours.[1][2]

Operational history
Atalante in 2004

From 30 April to 3 June 2002, Victor 6000, aboard the IFREMER research ship Atalante , participated in the PHARE (Peuplements hydrothermaux, leurs associations et relations avec l'environnement) oceanographic campaign and featured in a documentary about the expedition by Jean-François Ternay.[3]

The fauna on display in the Abyss Box pressurised deep sea tank were collected by Victor 6000.[4]

During a scientific expedition with the IFREMER research ship Pourquoi Pas? in November 2020, Victor 6000 was used to discover a SNCASE Aquilon jet fighter-bomber, missing since 1960, at a depth of 2,400 m (7,900 ft) to the south of Porquerolles, France.[5]

2023 Titan submersible incident

In 2023, Victor 6000 and Atalante were used in a rescue attempt in the search for the Titan submersible.[6]

Sources
  1. "Victor 6000". French oceanographic fleet. French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  2. Saubadu, Laurence; Gisbert Sanchez, Helena (21 June 2023). "Victor 6000 Underwater Robot". Barron's. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  3. "Phare 2002, la campagne océanographique". Canal U (in French). Government of France. January 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  4. "Les abysses". Océanopolis (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  5. Groizeleau, Vincent (27 November 2020). "Le Pourquoi pas? découvre l'épave d'un Aquilon disparu avec son pilote en 1960". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  6. "In race against clock, diving robot joins search for Titanic sub". South China Morning Post. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
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