On Wednesday, the Bluefin-21 underwater vehicle completed its last mission within its depth operating limits.

The unmanned underwater vehicle was picked up last week in waters off Subic Bay in the Philippines.

Nearby, helicopters lowered soldiers onto a ship's deck, while other personnel deployed a remotely operated underwater vehicle.

The scientists will return in five years and use a remote operated underwater vehicle to retrieve the data.

The trials included a US Navy black box detector, an unmanned underwater vehicle and other acoustic detection equipment.

But he said authorities are not yet at the point of deploying the autonomous underwater vehicle 'Blue Fin 21'.

The Atlantis will make use of an underwater vehicle to search the ocean floor, according to an NTSB statement.

The SPR method uses sonar, special cameras and an autonomous underwater vehicle, which the researchers to navigate and operate.

Another underwater vehicle with a special high-resolution video camera was sent in to allow scientists to visually inspect the area.

Other experts say the ATSB could have instead used an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to resurvey the sites.

All the announcements say is that the contract will be "for support in building an unmanned underwater vehicle."

The ROV is a remotely operated underwater vehicle that can film, scan and, crucially, pick up things from the seabed.

ExxonMobil: - Given use of a drilling rig as a staging base, two supply vessels, an underwater vehicle and support vessel.

Scientists at Northwestern University in the US believe both features could be harnessed in a new class of autonomous underwater vehicle.

However, the AAIB says that video from a remote underwater vehicle "is expected to provide valuable evidence for our safety investigation."

Searchers have not yet decided to send down the US Navy's Bluefin 21, an autonomous underwater vehicle that is able to travel deep underwater.