Since 2006, the Belgian Navy operates 5 Hydroid REMUS 100 Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Four more were acquired in 2012 and 2016. Till 2019, 880 missions have been undertaken in Europe for port protection and mine hunting operations, for which side scan sonar images are used.
The Research Centre of the Belgian Navy was willing to share some of the data gathered by the AUVs. Critical data, the side-scan sonar images, has not been shared and remains classified with the Belgian Navy. The Navy data manager did a lot of work in extracting the data from the files. This process improved data accountability as the data was then reorganised and available in a human readable format (txt).
Collaboration between the Belgian Navy and RBINS raised the point of data quality and recalibration after maintenance of some AUVs. Further follow-up with the manufacturer of the AUVs is foreseen to get an idea of the sensor models included in the AUVs and of calibration curves. The data was published 'as is' to EMODnet Chemistry and EMODnet Physics. This experience opens perspectives for other national navies to join the EMODnet family!
