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
Kraken Robotics Supplies High-Resolution Seabed Mapping Sonar Solution to Australian Navy
Canadian marine robotics company Kraken Robotics said Monday it had supplied high-resolution seabed mapping sonar equipment to the Royal Australian Navy. Kraken delivered its KATFISH high-speed high-definition seabed awareness solution in Q2, and recently completed system integration and sea trials in Cairns, Australia. Kraken expects to provide additional in-service support including training, spares and operational support. "Continuing to build off successful KATFISH deliveries with various NATO navies, this represented Kraken’s first KATFISH system sale in the Asia-Pacific
In the Navy:The Role of Advanced Sea Mines in Future Conflicts
, viable sea denial capability in the face of growing threats from Russia and China. Italian company RMV Italia, for example, a division of German auto and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, markets the Murena and Asteria bottom mines, and is rumored to be a possible future supplier to the Royal Australian Navy as Canberra seeks to deter Chinese maritime aggression. Finnish company DA-Group produces an advanced bottom mine, the Turso MM20, which can be fitted with a range of sensors, and operates at depths of 10 to 200 meters. DA-Group also markets a modular minelaying system called Sumico, which
Australia Outlines $245 Billion Nuclear Submarine Plan
program would start with a A$6 billion ($4 billion) investment over the next four years to expand a major submarine base and the country's submarine shipyards, as well as train skilled workers."This will be an Australian sovereign capability - built by Australians, commanded by the Royal Australian Navy and sustained by Australian workers in Australian shipyards," Albanese said in San Diego, California."The scale, complexity and economic significance of the investment is akin to the creation of the Australian automotive industry in the post-war period," Albanese added.Australia
MTR100: For USVs and AUVs, is it a Hydrogen Future?
LR underwater.Developing a hydrogen powered AUV has also been a goal for Canada’s Cellula Robotics – and this summer it got its system into the water. Its goal is to get to 2,000 km endurance with its hydrogen fuel cell powered Solus-LR vehicle. Cellula’s SeaWolf project, with the Australian navy (also called Solus XR), is even bigger (12m-long) and with more oxygen and hydrogen, and targeting 5,000km.Earlier this year, the company performed its first endurance pool tests on its fuel cell. It ran for more than three days without any issues. Then, in July, it took its 8.5m-long Solus-LR
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered AUV Demonstrated
message to Solus-LR's command and control center via Iridium satellite. The operation was the first of its kind and demonstrated near real-time, over-the-horizon communications from a submerged AUV.The demonstration was observed by representatives from Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS), the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Defense Research Development Canada (DRDC), Defense Science & Technology Group (DSTG Australia) and the Minister of State for Trade, Vancouver-Fraserview, George Chow, as part of Cellula's ongoing work with TAS' SeaWolf program. TAS is Australia's first
XLUUV: If You Build It, They Will Buy
In August, 2021, after years of delays, cost overruns, and rising tensions, the Australian government canceled a A$90 billion order with France’s Naval Group for 12 conventionally powered submarines intended to replace the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s aging fleet of six Collins-class attack subs. Overnight, the future of the RAN’s undersea warfare capability was cast into uncertainty. The very next month, however, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a plan to help Australia fill the void, offering to assist in the design, development, and construction of a new fleet
August 2025
