Kongsberg Discovery Starts AUV Production in the US
our U.S.-based supply chain and enhance our responsiveness to the evolving needs of our government and commercial customers. This demand has increased as global tension has risen," said Martin Wien Fjell, President of Kongsberg Discovery.Kongsberg Discovery have already delivered HUGIN to the U.S. Navy and other organizations within the government, commercial and academic sectors.Due to increased demand from the defense sector and growing recognition of unmanned underwater vehicles' (UUV) capabilities among U.S. Navy customers, a strategic decision has been made to expand investment in the United
KIMM Cracks the Code for Underwater Radiated Noise Prediction
Researchers in South Korea at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) have reportedly developed a hull-attached sensor-based system for predicting underwater radiated noise (URN), a key factor in naval stealth operations.KIMM Develops First Hull-Attached Sensor System for Predicting Underwater Radiated NoiseNew algorithm predicts underwater noise in real timeBoosts naval stealth and operational efficiencyThe new technology allows real-time monitoring of underwater noise levels generated by naval vessels, enabling early detection of abnormal vibrations and improving operational efficiency
Learning from Ukraine, Taiwan Looks to Sea Drones to Counter China
In the shadow of the Taiwan Strait, a new chapter in asymmetric naval warfare is unfolding. Drawing lessons from Ukraine’s strategic use of maritime drones in the Black Sea, Taiwan is adapting similar technologies as a low-cost, high-impact defense against an increasingly assertive Chinese Navy.Off Taiwan’s eastern fishing port of Wushi, Thunder Tiger — a local defense technology company — has been testing the SeaShark 800, an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) capable of carrying 1,200 kg of explosives across distances up to 500 km. Developed under the government’s "
Saildrone Names Former Vice Admiral as its New President
and oceanographic survey company Saildrone has appointed Vice Admiral John Mustin as its President, who will focus on growing the defense business.In his role, Mustin will work alongside Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO.Mustin joins Saildrone following a distinguished 34-year career in the U.S. Navy. He most recently served as the 15th Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force, where he led approximately 60,000 Reserve Component personnel supporting Navy, Marine Corps, and joint forces operations worldwide.“John Mustin brings a truly unique blend of naval operational expertise
Navy Signals Need for New Large AUV Class
;former Director of Warfare Systems, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Mike Camp was a highly accomplished former career submarine officer and a tireless proponent for the adoption of large uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs) into the Fleet. Today, the he largest UUVs are the Boeing XLUUV and Snakehead LDUUV. The Navy accepted delivery its first Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) Test Asset System in December 2023. The Boeing Orca XLUUV, designated XLE0, from the manufacturer Boeing.The Orca XLUUV is a cutting-edge, autonomous, unmanned diesel-electric submarine with a modular payload section to
AI Technology Targets Enhanced Naval Escort Safety
To ensure safe passage, high-value assets such as Navy aircraft carriers require escorts when entering or exiting crowded harbors. The Perception Autonomy for Vessel Escorts (PAVE) system from Charles River Analytics automates the process to reduce the number of people required and increase the speed for each mission.The company has now won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract sponsored by the Naval Sea Systems Command which is worth up to $1.8M.While PAVE is not the first of its kind, current perception software for uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) are not able to conduct
First Dutch Navy Mine Countermeasure Vessel Starts Sea Trials
The Vlissingen, the second of the series of mine countermeasures vessels (MCM) of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM program, first intended for the Royal Netherlands Navy, has commenced sea trials.The specialized and cyber secured by design MCM vessels are the first to have the capability to embark and launch a combination of surface drones (themselves 12-metre, 19- tonne vessels), underwater drones and aerial drones.The mine countermeasures vessels will use a mainly autonomous system for detection, classification, identification and neutralization of mines This approach with an unmanned integrated system
VideoRay, BlueHalo Awarded $30.7M Navy Contract
to provide systems engineering and support services for the company's Mission Specialist Defender systems, the Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response (MESR) remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The five-year contract was issued by the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific and supports the U.S. Navy’s ongoing operations utilizing the Mission Specialist Defender systems.The award follows the U.S. Navy’s $92.6 M MESR contract awarded to VideoRay in May 2024 and further reinforces the company’s role in supporting the U.S. Navy with advanced underwater robotic technology for expeditionar
New Royal Navy USV to Neutralize Mines
The Royal Navy now has taken delivery of a 12m uncrewed surface vessel (USV), called Ariadne, that will be used to detect mines.This advanced technology is expected to increase operational tempo, and it eliminates the needs for sailors to enter mine danger areas.Royal Navy Motor Boat (RNMB) Ariadne can be deployed from a harbor or mother ship to scour the seabed for mines, using Thales Towed Synthetic Aperture Multiviews systems.The vessel can operate either fully autonomously or remote-controlled by operations in the portable remote command center.Fitted with AI automatic target recognition, Ariadne
February 2025
