Firmus, SUBCO to Build Bernacchi-1 Subsea Fiber Option Connection
Firmus and SUBCO announced a landmark agreement to build a new submarine fiber optic cable connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia, significantly expanding the state's digital capacity and supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure. The new cable, to be named Bernacchi-1 in honor of pioneering Tasmanian-raised scientist and Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi, will connect Tasmania into SUBCO's SMAP cable system between Sydney and Melbourne.Underwritten by Firmus, this represents a major private-sector led investment in Tasmania's digital infrastructure, that will be for
JDR Nets Subsea Umbilicals Deal for Australian Gas Project
Amplitude Energy has awarded a contract to JDR Cable Systems to supply subsea control umbilicals for its East Coast Supply Project offshore Victoria, aimed at supporting gas delivery to southeastern Australia.JDR will supply about 18 km of hydraulic control umbilicals, with options for a further 13 km depending on drilling results, the company said.The project will deliver gas to the Athena Gas Plant, which has a processing capacity of up to 150 terajoules per day, supplying homes and businesses across Victoria and South Australia.The contract includes thermoplastic electro-hydraulic production
SUBCO Announces APX East Australia to US Express Hypercable
SUBCO announced its latest submarine cable project, APX East, a new express hypercable between Australia and the United States, planned to be Ready for Service (RFS) Q4 2028.APX East is a 16 fiber pair system that will be the first to offer hyperscalers, neoclouds and carriers, direct fiber connectivity between Australia and mainland US without any landing or interconnection in between. Offering a high level of reliability, security and simplicity, it will also be the lowest latency path between the two nations.APX East delivers latency, security and simplicity benefits while enabling a Q4 2028 RFS
Subco Announces Milestones for SMAP, Capacity Expansions Across Australia
SUBCO announced a major construction and service update on transcontinental subsea hypercable SMAP, alongside a series of strategic capacity investments that significantly strengthen Australia’s inter-capital digital connectivity. SUBCO confirmed that the Perth–Adelaide–Melbourne section of SMAP will achieve its final splice in January 2026, with first services handed over to customers in March 2026. The Melbourne–Sydney segment is scheduled to reach final splice completion in March 2026, with the full SMAP system ready for service in May 2026. Once completed, SMAP
Australia Opens a Wave Data Portal
Nearly 90% of Australians live within 50 kilometers of the coast, and Australia’s State of the Climate Report 2024 found that the nation’s weather, climate, and ocean conditions continue to change. Rising sea levels pose a significant threat to coastal communities and coastal ecosystems by amplifying the risks of coastal inundation, storm surge, erosion, and saltwater intrusion into groundwater systems.For most of Australia, coastal floods that currently occur occasionally are predicted to become chronic later this century. Extreme sea levels that had a probability of occurring once in a
Ghost Shark Factory Opens in Sydney
Seven weeks after the Royal Australian Navy awarded a A$1.7 billion Program of Record, Anduril has officially opened its new Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney.The opening coincides with the first Ghost Shark extra large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV) being completed ahead of schedule and ready for sea acceptance testing ahead of planned delivery to the Royal Australian Navy in January 2026.The platform is designed to conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations, stealthily and at long range.The new 7,400m² facility is purpose-built to produce Ghost
Reach Subsea’s USV Heads to Australia for Work with Woodside Energy
Norwegian subsea services firm Reach Subsea has sent off its Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) Reach Remote 2 to Australia to deliver services for Woodside Energy.The Reach Remote 2 USV will perform reservoir monitoring on the Scarborough gas field, utilizing Reach Subsea’s proprietary gWatch technology.gWatch is a reservoir monitoring technology widely used across Norwegian gas fields. It measures time-lapse gravity and seafloor deformation to detect small changes in reservoir mass and pressure.These high-precision measurements significantly reduce uncertainty in gas reserves (GIIP) and aquifer
RSV Nuyina Completes Dedicated Marine Science Voyage for the Australian Antarctic Program
The RSV Nuyina, operated by Serco, has returned safely to Hobart after a 9-week dedicated marine science voyage to the Denman Glacier, carrying 85 Australian Antarctic Program expeditioners and 45 crew. In achieving its third 2024/25 season voyage, the Nuyina successfully facilitated research and navigated through harsh environmental conditions, including winds at times reaching 63 knots (116 km/hour), thick ice and frequent periods of very low visibility.The Australian Antarctic Program had previously been unable to access Antarctica’s Denman Glacier—which is of prime scientific interest
Australian Border Force: Ten Illegal Fishers Found Guilty
Ten Indonesian nationals pleaded guilty to illegally fishing in Australian waters in separate cases at Darwin Local Court on April 29 and 30, 2025. The first case arose from an incident on April 3, 2025, when Australian authorities identified, intercepted and apprehended an Indonesian vessel fishing illegally near Parry Harbor, Western Australia. Authorities seized 420 kg of sea cucumber, 300 kg of salt used to process and preserve catch, and fishing equipment including a 50-meter line with hooks and a trawling device. The crew were detained and transported to Darwin for further investiga
February 2026
