France fields 6,000-meter Argo floats, third after U.S. and China

France's Ifremer completed five dives to 6,000 meters with two Deep-6000 Argo prototypes between Jan. 11 and Feb. 2, becoming the third operator after the U.S. and China to reach abyssal depths. The autonomous profilers use composite hulls to survive pressure, extending observation beyond the standard 2,000-4,000 meter Argo envelope.