8A4-class ROUV vs REMUS (vehicle): Specs Compared

AUncrewed maritime systems

8A4-class ROUV

remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV)

BUncrewed maritime systems

REMUS (vehicle)

autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)

First system

Second system

Measured figures

Head to head

6 of 21 rows sourced on both sides

—

3.84mREMUS 6000 · Length

Length

All recorded figures & sources

2.3 m

REMUS 300 · Length

Single source

3.84 m

REMUS 6000 · Length

Single source

3.84 metres (12.6 ft)^[source]REMUS 6000

2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)^[source]REMUS 300

—

710mmREMUS 6000 · Diameter

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.19 m

REMUS 300 · Diameter

Single source

0.71 m

REMUS 6000 · Diameter

Single source

0.324 m

REMUS 600 · Diameter

Single source

71 centimetres (28 in)^[source]REMUS 6000

12.75-inch (32.4 cm)^[source]REMUS 600

19 cm (7.5 in)^[source]REMUS 300

—

67.6kg

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

45.4 kg

REMUS 300 · expeditionary configuration · Mass

Single source

67.6 kg

REMUS 300 · long-endurance configuration · Mass

Single source

56 kg

REMUS 300 · standard configuration · Mass

Single source

56 kg (123 lb)^[source]REMUS 300 · standard configuration

45.4 kg (100 lb)^[source]REMUS 300 · expeditionary configuration

67.6 kg (149 lb)^[source]REMUS 300 · long-endurance configuration

—

19km/hMaximum; REMUS M3V · Speed

Speed

All recorded figures & sources

5.6 km/h

Cruise; REMUS 100 · Cruise speed

Single source

5.6 km/h

Cruise; REMUS 600 · Cruise speed

Single source

9.3 km/h

Maximum; REMUS 100 · up to

Single source

9.3 km/h

Maximum; REMUS 300 · up to

Single source

9.3 km/h

Maximum; REMUS 6000 · up to

Single source

9.3 km/h

Maximum; REMUS 600 · up to

Single source

15 km/h

Maximum; REMUS 620 · Speed

Single source

18.52 km/h

Maximum; REMUS M3V · Speed

Single source

up to 5 knots (9.3 km/h)^[source]REMUS 6000

8 knots (15 km/h)^[source]REMUS 620

up to 5 knots (9.3 km/h)^[source]REMUS 600

3 knots (5.6 km/h)^[source]REMUS 600

up to 5 knots (9.3 km/h)^[source]REMUS 300

up to 5 knots (9.3 km/h)^[source]REMUS 100

3 knots (5.6 km/h)^[source]REMUS 100

10 knots^[source]REMUS M3V

0.2km

509kmREMUS 620 · up to

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

0.15 km

First 8A4 unit sea-trial cruising radius 1993, not other ROUVs · up to

Single source

up to 150 meters^[source]First 8A4 unit sea-trial cruising radius 1993, not other ROUVs

165 km

REMUS 300 · Range

Single source

370 km

REMUS 620 · synthetic-aperture sonar configuration · Range

Single source

509 km

REMUS 620 · up to

Single source

up to 275 nmi (509 km)^[source]REMUS 620

200 nmi (370 km)^[source]REMUS 620 · synthetic-aperture sonar configuration

165 km (89 nmi)^[source]REMUS 300

—

110hREMUS 620 · up to

Endurance

All recorded figures & sources

22 h

REMUS 100 · up to

Single source

30 h

REMUS 300 · up to

Single source

22 h

REMUS 6000 · up to

Single source

70 h

REMUS 600 · up to

Single source

78 h

REMUS 620 · synthetic-aperture sonar configuration · Endurance

Single source

110 h

REMUS 620 · up to

Single source

up to 22 hours^[source]REMUS 6000

up to 110 hours^[source]REMUS 620

78 hours^[source]REMUS 620 · synthetic-aperture sonar configuration

up to 70 hours^[source]REMUS 600

up to 30 hours^[source]REMUS 300

up to 22 hours^[source]REMUS 100

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

8A4-class ROUV and REMUS (vehicle) configuration
Specification	8A4-class ROUV	REMUS (vehicle)
Type	remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV)^[source]	autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)^[source]
Role	oil platform service to salvage and rescue missions^[source]	mine countermeasures missions^[source]
Designer	the 702nd Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the Shipbuilding Engineering Institute of Harbin Engineering University (HEU), and the Institute of Underwater Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SHJTU)^[source]	Oceanographic Systems Lab (OSL)^[source]
General designer	Xu Huangnan (徐芑南)^[source]	—
Manipulator system	two manipulators that could operate around half a dozen tools^[source]	—
Tether management	Tether Management System (TMS)^[source]Original full-performance TMS configuration; later units had TMS removed	—
Maximum operating depth	up to 600 meters^[source]First 8A4 unit sea trials 1993 with TMS, not later reduced-performance units	6000m^[source]REMUS 6000 600m^[source]REMUS 600 305 m (1,001 ft)^[source]REMUS 300 100 meters^[source]REMUS 100 300 meters^[source]REMUS M3V
Configuration limitation	Except for the first unit, all the remaining 8A4 ROUVs have had their TMS removed due to the budget cuts, resulting in a significant reduction in performance, such as reducing the maximum operational depth by more than half^[source]	—
Country of origin	China^[source]	United States^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 4, row 6, cell 2; revision 1373693597; retrieved 2026-09-30
Design basis reported by article	The Chinese 8A4 class ROUV is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV) used to perform various underwater tasks, ranging from oil platform service to salvage and rescue missions. The 8A4 is a member of a series of related ROUVs developed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA) in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The predecessor to the 8A4 was the RECON-IV, an improved version of the American RECON-III. The 8A4 itself is an upgraded version of the American AMETEK 2006, and the 7B8 is an improved version of the 8A4.^[source]	—
Manufacturer	—	Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution^[source] Hydroid Inc^[source]
Configuration	—	all are torpedo-shaped vessels with reconfigurable sensors^[source]

FORCETALLY

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8A4-class ROUV

REMUS (vehicle)

Type

remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV)^[source]

autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)^[source]

Role

oil platform service to salvage and rescue missions^[source]

mine countermeasures missions^[source]

Designer

the 702nd Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the Shipbuilding Engineering Institute of Harbin Engineering University (HEU), and the Institute of Underwater Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SHJTU)^[source]

Oceanographic Systems Lab (OSL)^[source]

General designer

Xu Huangnan (徐芑南)^[source]

—

Manipulator system

two manipulators that could operate around half a dozen tools^[source]

—

Tether management

Tether Management System (TMS)^[source]Original full-performance TMS configuration; later units had TMS removed

—

Maximum operating depth

up to 600 meters^[source]First 8A4 unit sea trials 1993 with TMS, not later reduced-performance units

6000m^[source]REMUS 6000

600m^[source]REMUS 600

305 m (1,001 ft)^[source]REMUS 300

100 meters^[source]REMUS 100

300 meters^[source]REMUS M3V

Configuration limitation

Except for the first unit, all the remaining 8A4 ROUVs have had their TMS removed due to the budget cuts, resulting in a significant reduction in performance, such as reducing the maximum operational depth by more than half^[source]

—

Country of origin

China^[source]

United States^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 4, row 6, cell 2; revision 1373693597; retrieved 2026-09-30

Design basis reported by article

The Chinese 8A4 class ROUV is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV) used to perform various underwater tasks, ranging from oil platform service to salvage and rescue missions. The 8A4 is a member of a series of related ROUVs developed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA) in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The predecessor to the 8A4 was the RECON-IV, an improved version of the American RECON-III. The 8A4 itself is an upgraded version of the American AMETEK 2006, and the 7B8 is an improved version of the 8A4.^[source]

—

Manufacturer

—

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution^[source]

Hydroid Inc^[source]

Configuration

—

all are torpedo-shaped vessels with reconfigurable sensors^[source]