Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency News

Credit: Hyliion Holdings

Hyliion USX-1 Defiant USV Chosen as Launch Platform for KARNO Core Sea Trials

Hyliion Holdings Corp., a developer of modular power plant technology, announced that the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has selected the USX-1 Defiant as a candidate test vessel for Hyliion’s KARNO technology. Initial sea trials are funded under a development program from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to advance the use of KARNO Cores for onboard power generation in U.S. Navy vessels.For the USX-1 Defiant sea trials, Hyliion will deliver a drop-in 800 KW power system consisting of four 200 KW

Source: Cornell University

Underwater 3D Printing of Concrete Ready for DARPA Assessment

have a remotely operated underwater vehicle that shows up on site with minimal disturbance to the ocean, then there is a way to build smarter and not continue the same practices that we do on the land.”The project got its start in fall 2024, when the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued a call for proposals to design 3D-printable concrete that could be deposited at a depth of several meters underwater – and to do so in a radically truncated timeframe of one year.“When the call for proposals came out, we said, ‘Hey, let’s just

Manta Ray vehicle being towed in preparation for testing (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

Manta Ray UUV Prototype Completes In-water Testing

The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) built by Northrop Grumman completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024. Manta Ray was built through a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program aimed at advancing key technologies to benefit future UUV designs, including techniques to manage energy, increased payload capacity, low-power propulsion and more.The recent in-water testing demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and

A NUWC Division Newport team assists Bionet Sonar by underwater testing its new wireless technology called HydroNet. From left: Dillon Fournier, manager, Division Newport’s Narragansett Bay Test Facility; Emrecan Demirors, co-founder of Bionet Sonar; Dr. Steve Bordonaro, director, Northeast Tech Bridge; and Bionet Sonar employees, Ryan Burke and Kerem Enhos. (Photo: Dave Stoehr / Navy)

Bionet Sonar Tests Underwater Wireless Network at NUWC Division Newport

through a secure channel. During the two days of testing, the team was able to collect the data needed to move their project forward.“The results were fantastic,” Demirors said. “Everything was functioning as it should be.”The HydroNet project is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which encourage small businesses to engage in government research and development with the potential for commercialization.“We are extremely pleased about this partnership

Image courtesy Charles River Analytics

DARPA Funds Tech to better Detect Whales

Charles River Analytics won a $1.5 million follow-on contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a multi-sensor fusion module that incorporates deep learning to autonomously and accurately detect whales and other aquatic mammals.To protect marine mammals from collisions and sonar exposure, sailors must keep a vigilant lookout. Operators of remotely operated vehicles must also stay alert, and uncrewed surface vehicles’ (USVs) currently limited and narrow video feeds create risk, too. To reduce the strain on human lookouts, and give USVs the ability to steer clear

Sonardyne’s underwater technologies are supporting Dive Technologies’ large displacement DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) program. Photo Courtesy Sonardyne

Sonardyne Suite for Dive Technologies’ AUV

Technologies of Quincy, Mass., selected a suite of Sonardyne technologies for navigation, tracking and control of its large displacement DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) program.Founded in 2018, Dive Technologies’ rapid development program has included support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and technology partnerships with organizations including the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics at Virginia Tech. A key part of the development has been to opt for high-performance, off-the-shelf systems for its DIVE-LD AUV, a 19-ft. long, 48-in. diameter vehicle designed

(Image: Xerox)

Xerox and DARPA Partner to Develop IoT Ocean Sensors

PARC, a Xerox company, announced Thursday it has been awarded a contract by the U.S.' Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the next development phase in the Ocean of Things, a project to expand what scientists know about the seas.Initially announced by DARPA in 2017, the Ocean of Things project is deploying small, low-cost drifters in the Southern California Bight and Gulf of Mexico to collect data on the environment and human impact. This includes sea surface temperature, sea state, surface activities and even information on marine life moving through the area.“Oceans cover

(Image: DARPA)

Gibbs & Cox to Develop 'Sea Train' Concept

Naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox said it has been awarded a multi-phase contract from the U.S.' Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and demonstrate a connectorless "Sea Train" concept.DARPA's Sea Train program aims to demonstrate long range deployment capabilities for a distributed fleet of tactical unmanned surface vessels. The program seeks to enable extended transoceanic transit and long-range naval operations by exploiting the efficiencies of a system of connected vessels.The goal is to develop and demonstrate approaches that exploit wave-making

Anti-Submarine Warfare: Unmanned Future

or standalone capability for ASW is just beginning to emerge. One example is the ACTUV, a 40-meter long-endurance unmanned ASW platform being developed by DARPA and ONR in the U.S.”   The ASW Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) is an unmanned vessel designed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The state-of-the-art vessel is built specifically to track quiet diesel-electric submarines, at a fraction of their size and cost.   The project also seeks to advance unmanned system autonomy so that maritime operators are able to deploy platforms capable of crossing

August marks the annual hydrographic e-magazine and the opportunity to highlight some of the global research underway in our world’s oceans. We explore hydrographic data, climate simulations, subsea networks and cybersecurity, camera technology, autonomous operations, sonar and survey solutions, as well as ROVs.
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