MCM100 military re-breather system from Avon Protection and upcoming Shallow Water model showcased at DSEI UK 2025
NewsSeptember 11, 2025
LONDON -- DSEI UK 2025. The MCM100 electronically controlled, closed-circuit, mixed-gas military rebreather with new diver-control attachment featured at Avon Protection Booth N3-310 at DSEI UK 2025 in London this week.
The system was developed in collaboration with the U.K.’s Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Royal Norwegian navy. It is designed for shallow- and deep-water military diving applications, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), mine countermeasures (MCM), and Special Operations diving.
“Many rebreathers in use in the U.S. Navy rely on analog sensors,” said Kevin Gurr, Director, Underwater Systems, Avon Protection at DSEI this week. “With the MCM100 we got rid of the analog and replaced it all with digital technology. The digital framework massively increases safety and gives the diver more capability to go deeper underwater.”
The sensor lineup includes an O2 sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, and high-pressure gas sensors.
With the old analog systems, the dive checklist procedure would take about an hour, but with a digital system, they can push a few buttons and the system takes it from there and they are ready to dive under 10 minutes, Gurr explained. It’s a huge mission time readiness improvement, he added.
“We recently added a diver tracker to the MCM100 where the dive supervisor can see a 3D view of the dive team and monitor their sensors in case of an emergency,” he said.
The MCM100 is designed to operate in deep-water mine-clearance applications. Avon is developing a system for shallow water operations, called the Shallow Water Combat Rebreather, Gurr said. It is a concept demonstrator developed in collaboration with Aion. This initiative explores how a core rebreather system could integrate with modular electronics and mission-ready accessories. These include a custom harness buoyancy compensator and tactical components optimized for stealth, comfort, and operational efficiency in hostile environments.
“With modular electronics options to enhance operational capability and safety, this compact, simple, and robust demonstrator system represents a step change in capability for combat and very shallow water diving profiles,” Gurr said.
The Avon team also developed a head-up display (HUD) that comes with a full-blown high-resolution TV display projected through a prism system that is projected out in front of the diver so they can still see their mission targets, Gurr said.
The Diver HUD concept with optical waveguide technology provides real-time operational data within the diver’s field of view, according to an Avon release. Developed with the potential to replace wrist-worn diving computers and offering a significant advancement over current LED traffic-light HUD systems, it provides a see-through capability while maintaining full visibility. Designed to meet customer requirements for displaying larger data packages, it offers additional benefits for divers using propulsion systems, sonar navigation, or those unable to monitor wrist devices easily.
“Today’s Special Forces dive teams face increasingly complex missions and extended dive profiles,” Gurr noted. “These technology concepts demonstrate how the MCM100 Multi-Role Rebreather system could evolve to meet next-level requirements for excellence in demanding underwater environments.”
For more information visit, https://www.avon-protection.com/products/mcm100/.
