China has tested a new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for monitoring the marine environment in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The AUV, Haijing 2000, was developed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation under the CAS. It has continuously traveled for 37 days during the sea trial covering more than 2,000 km, which verified its long endurance and system reliability.

Weighing about 200 kg, it can reach a depth of up to 1,500 meters and travel at a maximum speed of one meter per second.

Equipped with several physical and biochemical sensors such as a current profiler and turbidity meters, it can work in several navigation modes and an autonomous observation mode to conduct dynamic observations of different marine environments. (Xinhua)