In 2025, a unit of the National Gendarmerie located in the east of France acquired the M2 PRO MAX underwater drone from our supplier Chasing. Once the ROV was received, the Team Chief Warrant Officer naturally turned to CADDEN to train his teams in the use of the embedded system.
« In view of the investment made to acquire this equipment, it quickly appeared essential for us to undergo specific training in its use, rather than discovering it by ourselves and risking errors or damaging the equipment.
Moreover, given the operational relevance of this tool and the benefits it can bring, the training also allows us to discover all its capabilities and make the most of them. CADDEN was the first company to offer us a training formula adapted to our needs », says the Chief Warrant Officer of the River Gendarmerie Brigade of Saint-Jean-de-Losne.
To date, the arrival of this novelty brings a real plus for the unit which sees in this brand new system an enlarged competence to carry out its missions. The latter having a constant relationship with water, both on the surface and underwater.
The main objective of this unit of the National Gendarmerie is to carry out underwater forensic investigations and findings. In case of doubt, the underwater drone will perform an underwater check before sending the divers.
In certain special circumstances, such as deep water or polluted waters, the M2 PRO MAX will then be deployed to intervene instead of divers.
« For the moment we are still in the discovery phase of the product, it has not yet been used operationally. However, we appreciate the format and weight of the ROV which allows us to transport and implement it easily, its autonomy seems sufficient for our use, its movement underwater is quite intuitive and its camera very efficient in clear water », details the Chief Warrant Officer.
Carried out a few weeks ago in the premises of CADDEN, the unit benefited from a complete training on the use of the M2 PRO MAX by Chasing. Taught by Dominique Chassagne, Technical Director at CADDEN, the soldiers of the River Brigade of Saint-Jean-de-Losne had a theoretical training then it quickly moved to practice.
It is under a radiant sun that the group launched and maneuvered the ROV in a lake with perfectly clear water, ideal conditions for this day of training.
« We are very satisfied with this training, we were able to understand the ROV and put into practice its use. This allowed us to assess the quality of our purchase, the options acquired and those to acquire. Since then we have successfully re-implemented the ROV autonomously », rejoices the Chief Warrant Officer of the River Brigade Gendarmerie of Saint-Jean-de-Losne.
Among its many assets, the ROV Chasing M2 PRO MAX stands out for its ability to integrate a wide range of sensors: sonar, underwater photogrammetry camera, clamp with robotic arm, etc.
« We were able to test during our internship at CADDEN the arm with clamp option and this option, which was not initially chosen, seems very relevant to us to further broaden the spectrum of the ROV. », details the Chief Warrant Officer.
« We will gradually test the ROV in harsher conditions, namely low to no visibility and on the river in the stream, which are regularly our employment conditions », he concludes.
