AeroVironment Launches Mission Specialist Wraith UUV
AeroVironment Inc., a leading provider of all domain autonomous systems, announced the launch of the Mission Specialist Wraith, the newest addition to the Mission Specialist Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) series developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, VideoRay. Designed for demanding subsea operations, Wraith delivers a new level of agility, power, and control in a compact, expeditionary-ready platform.Engineered for extreme agility and precision in challenging subsea environments, Wraith delivers true six-degree-of-freedom maneuverability through 10 vectored thrusters, allowing it to hold any
Advanced Navigation Appoints New APAC Head to Drive PNT Solutions
Advanced Navigation, a leader in navigation and autonomous systems, has announced the appointment of Michelle Toscan as Head of APAC Sales. This move, following a year of doubled growth for the company, is a direct response to the critical and escalating threat of GPS interference. Toscan’s expertise will be important, as assured, GPS-independent autonomy is rapidly shifting from a strategic advantage to a baseline for commercial activity and national security. She is tasked with accelerating the delivery of Advanced Navigation’s dual-use Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)
Advanced Navigation Appoints New APAC Head
Advanced Navigation, a world leader in navigation and autonomous systems, has announced the appointment of Michelle Toscan as Head of APAC.This move, following a year of doubled growth for the company, is a direct response to the critical and escalating threat of GPS interference.Toscan’s expertise will be instrumental as assured, GPS-independent autonomy is rapidly shifting from a strategic advantage to a baseline for commercial activity and national security. She is tasked with accelerating the delivery of Advanced Navigation’s dual-use, resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
AI Goes Subsea: Autonomous Welding Robot Debut
of MARIOW’s most significant advances lies in how the system determines where—and how—to weld. A stereo camera system developed by Fraunhofer IGD provides high-resolution imagery directly at the welding torch. Using this visual data, AI models developed by the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems at TH Köln autonomously identify weld joints, as well as their start and end points.Once the joint geometry is recognized, the AI calculates the optimal welding path, adjusting robot motion accordingly. This capability enables consistent weld quality even when visibility is poor&mdash
Vatn Systems Acquires Crewless Marine
brings experience in torpedo acoustic systems, hydrophone manufacturing, and real-time signal processing. The acquisition strengthens Vatn's strategy to vertically integrate its tech stack to control critical technologies, reduce supply chain dependencies, and accelerate development cycles for autonomous systems. Additionally, Crewless is executing on a Navy SBIR for "AI/ML Multi-Sensor/Multi-Target Localization."As part of the transaction, Crewless Marine co-founder Steve Bordonaro, PhD, will join Vatn as Chief Engineer for Systems, and co-founder Philip Caspers, PhD, will join as Director
Submarine Group Two Commander Visits NUWC Newport
to the workforce during the command’s holiday cookie party before receiving a series of briefings on emerging undersea technologies.Smith oversees the U.S. Navy’s Undersea Hybrid Fleet Executive Steering Group — a group focused on the development and delivery of undersea robotic autonomous systems (URAS) capabilities to the fleet. He toured the command to gain a deeper understanding of NUWC’s role in system development, fielding and associated C4I (command, control, communications, computers and intelligence) capabilities.Smith’s time spent with Division Newport employees
AeroVironment to Deliver Mission Specialist Defender ROVs to USGC
, subsurface infrastructure surveys, disaster response and search and rescue operations in challenging environments—reducing diver risk while increasing mission safety, operational efficiency, and fleet readiness.As part of Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard established the Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Program Executive Office to rapidly integrate unmanned and robotic technologies across all missions, including investments in robotics and autonomous systems designed to build a more agile, technology-enabled, and globally ready force for the evolving maritime domain.AV’s $4.8 million
Saildrone Maps Cayman Islands EEZ
will possess a complete, modern baseline of its marine domain—data that would otherwise have been financially unattainable.As the raw data transitions to the UKHO for processing, and later to Seabed 2030 for global mapping contributions, the Cayman mission serves as a blueprint for how autonomous systems can help growing island states access the same level of marine intelligence as the world’s largest economies
Skana Robotics Expands its Autonomous Fleet with "Alligator" Amphibious Vessel
Skana Robotics, a defense tech startup, is unveiling its latest autonomous vessel, the Alligator, the first amphibious vessel that combines infrastructure-free deployment, manned or unmanned operation, and the ability to carry and launch other autonomous systems. The Alligator joins Skana’s fleet of maritime autonomous vessels, which have already progressed from the prototype stage to deployable and adaptable naval assets designed for mass production: the Bullshark (autonomous surface vessel, ASV) and Stingray (Autonomous underwater vessel, AUV). Skana’s third and largest vessel
December 2025
