The Protei-5 (Протей-5) is a small Russian one-man diver-carrying vehicle often used by Russian commando frogmen. It is battery electric powered. The batteries are an expensive type that contain silver. It clips on under the diver with a clip over each shoulder and one between his legs. Its casing is aluminium. It was intended to be clipped onto the outside of a submarine; near the operation site the frogmen would airlock out underwater and unhitch their Protei 5's and ride them to the operation site. The Russian for "diver-carrying vehicle" is buksirovshchik = "tugger". The rod sticking out of the front end was meant to carry a lamp.
The lever on the left bow is the motor's on/off switch. There is no speed control.
The frogman steers by moving his legs about. See Diver Dave's Site for more pictures and a longer description.
Only one Protei-5 has found its way out of the ex-USSR, as far as is known. There have been similar designs made in Russia, including a model called Proton. For an account of diving with them, see article "Riding on Proton" by Afonchenko (in Russian): see . "Protei" is a Russian version of the classical Latin / Greek mythological name Proteus.
