Defender Ballast

The Mission Specialist Vehicle's buoyancy can affect performance and should be adjusted for water type (fresh versus salt), payload and performance requirements.

The Defender ballast configuration consists of stainless steel weights that can be attached to the frame using the screws provided. Ballast should be added until the vehicle has a slight positive buoyancy so that it will return to the surface slowly when pushed down manually.

There are numerous hole in the ballast and mounting holes that allow the ballast to be placed slightly fore or aft to trim the vehicle so that it is level. The Defender has pitch control, so a perfectly level trim is not necessary. If the mission calls for pitch down (retrieving object from the bottom) or pitch up (ship's hull inspection), adjusting the trim accordingly can help reduce the pitch control effort required.