New Year, New Gear: Threats, Modularity, and Agility to Drive Subsea Defense in 2026
Hila with the Porkkala Coastal Battalion carries U.S. Marines with 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division During Operation Baltic Sentry in Southern Finland, Feb. 25, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian Bolin Jr.)XL-AUV DeploymentWith Anduril’s Ghost Shark now a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) program of record, 2026 may mark the first year an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV) formally assumes an operational role. Early employment is likely to emphasize integration into fleet exercises rather than routine tasking, but this would represent a meaningful transition
Australian Maritime College, HII Celebrate Near-Perfect REMUS 100 Reliability
a reliability milestone for AMC’s Legacy REMUS 100 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Over seven years, the AMC REMUS 100 completed 935 operational deployments with only two days of downtime caused by material issues. During this period the AUV supported the training of more than 400 Royal Australian Navy AUV operators.Despite frequent use in challenging environments, the system maintained operational availability above 99.9%, which is a standout result for autonomous maritime technology.In 2026, HII REMUS will celebrate 25 years of service to customers worldwide. To date, more than 750 REMUS
Advanced Navigation Appoints New APAC Head to Drive PNT Solutions
Industries: Director of Strategy and Commercial, leading growth across the air, land, sea, and space domainsGoogle: Account Executive, introducing the platform to the Federal GovernmentLeidos: Head of Sourcing and Commercial Management, mastering complex supply chainsRoyal Australian Navy: Served as a Legal Officer for over two decades and continues to serve for the Department of Defence, providing a critical understanding of the sovereign capability mandateToscan holds a master’s degree in international law and international relations, and two bachelor’s degrees
Kraken Robotics Appoints BlueZone Group as Sales Representative for Australia, New Zealand
Kraken Robotics Inc. announced the appointment of BlueZone Group as an authorized reseller of Kraken Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) and the KATFISH towed SAS platform in Australia and New Zealand.This year, Kraken partnered with BlueZone Group to service the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) KATFISH and ISO20 LARS aboard HMAS Leeuwin. The system is now operational under the management of RAN’s Hydrographic Service. Together, Kraken and BlueZone delivered the first Depot-Level Maintenance service on the KATFISH towed SAS system in under one month, demonstrating the value of in-country
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
Down Under
scientific research purposes, we can expect AI-powered AUVs to play a vital role.”Hydrus AUVs. Credit: Advanced NavigationQ-CTRLAustralian quantum software company Q-CTRL has demonstrated its software-ruggedized quantum sensing for navigation technology in a major field trial onboard the Royal Australian Navy’s multi-role aviation training vessel, MV Sycamore. Quantum navigation promises a robust and reliable GPS backup that cannot be jammed or spoofed.Quantum sensing leverages the physics of light and matter on the smallest scales to enable the detection of tiny signals. Because these devices
Australia Advances Ghost Shark AUV Investment
The Australian Government is investing A$1.7 billion ($1.1 billion) to acquire a new fleet of Australian‑designed and built extra-large autonomous undersea vehicles – known as the Ghost Shark – for the Royal Australian Navy. The Department of Defence has signed a contract with Anduril Australia for the delivery, maintenance and continued development of the Ghost Shark over the next five years.The platform is designed to conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations, stealthily and at long
Greenroom Robotics Granted AUKUS Exemption for Autonomous Vessel Software
significant barriers on defence trade in August through an exemption to the U.S. International Trafficking in Arms Regulations, designed to speed up construction of nuclear-powered submarines under the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) pact.The co-founder of the Greenroom Robotics startup, former Royal Australian Navy engineer Harry Hubbert, told Reuters the licence exemption will also speed up the company's collaboration on autonomous vessel trials with defence companies in Britain and the United States.Greenroom's software acts like "the brain of a vessel", he said, emulating what a helmsman
Cellula Robotics Unveils Vigilus Underwater Surveillance Solution
for timely data-driven decisions, Cellula Robotics said. Furthermore, Vigilus offers an additional layer of strategic advantage, as each node can emit acoustic pings to serve as a deterrent while deployed.The genesis of Vigilus can be traced back to a successful prototype developed for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the manufacturer noted.Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada has awarded a contract to Cellula Robotics Ltd. for its Vigilus array following a successful call for proposals under the Innovative Solutions Canada Testing Stream. Transport Canada is acting as the technical
February 2026
