Down Under
. “We started doing this custom build work in 2019 on a project for the University of Indiana, funded by the US Navy, to develop a hybrid autonomous ROV/AUV that could self-navigate and avoid in-water objects on its own,” says Director and Founder Matthew Mooney. “It had a number of sonar systems onboard, and depth sensing cameras, and its own processing system that we designed and worked in collaboration with the team at Indiana University to create. It’s still being used for research purposes to this day in the US.”The company is currently making a ROV for an oil and gas
Deeply Innovative: Drivers in Subsea Defense
system, integrated with a Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (TSAS), is already in use with multiple navies for MCM and change detection, providing unmatched resolution and area coverage rates.KATFISH system. Credit: Kraken RoboticsNORBIT Subsea adds another layer of capability with its compact multibeam sonar systems and GuardPoint family of intruder detection solutions, enabling security teams to monitor harbors, naval bases, and underwater infrastructure in real time. Similarly, EdgeTech has a proven track record delivering side-scan sonar systems like the 4205 and 2205 payloads for allied MCM programs
Upscaling Power Subsea: Cables and Connectors
an application, says Radue, so there’s not a lot of repeatability.Optical fibers are often used in systems that require greater bandwidth over longer distances, with a smaller footprint—smaller hull penetrations— for applications such as offshore oil and gas, towed arrays, side scan sonar systems, and oceanographic instrumentation. Image courtesy of BIRNS. Image courtesy BirnsTidal energy systems face similar challenges to offshore wind, with the harsh constant motion of tidal areas a key challenge. SMI recently took part in the upscaling of a tidal system in Japan led by system integrator
NUWC Division Newport Awards Recognize 12 Patent Inventors, Published Authors
A. Roodbeen: Patent 12,143,406, “Real-Time Network Intrusion Detection System"Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department employees Christopher J. Morcom and Nathaniel Couch: Patent 12,081,411, “Internal Network Enumeration Tool”Stephen C. Butler of the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department: Patent 12,042,821, “Squirter Transducer”Undersea Warfare Platforms and Payload Integration Department employees Monica L. Blanchard and James M. LeBlanc, Dr. Thomas S. Ramotowski of the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, and former Division Newport employees Rachel
NUWC Division Newport-Sponsored Robotics Team Finishes Among Top Alliances at World Competition
of a varsity sports program, offering a pathway for students to pursue technical college programs, engineering degrees, and skilled trades careers.Along with DeSousa and Sieben, the team is supported by the following engineers and scientists from Division Newport: Mark Seidman, Sensors and Sonar Systems Department; Carly Winters, Combat Systems Department; USW Electromagnetic Systems Department employees, Aidan Lynch and Josh Wolf; Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department employee, Richard Blight, Thomas Dolan, and Elizabeth Stevens; and Alex Cory, USW Weapons, Vehicles, and Defensive
Undersea Warfighting Development Center Leadership Visits NUWC Division Newport
in communications and electronic warfare, as the U.S. Navy’s principal research, development, test and evaluation agent for USW electromagnetic systems, including antennas, periscopes, electronic warfare, radar and communication system.At the Naval Array Technical Support Center, Sensors and Sonar Systems Department employees gave an in-depth explanation of how the facility operates, including a detailed description of the different components and functions of towed arrays. This includes the platforms on which they operate, as well as what the future holds for these systems. This facility is used
Klein Marine Systems Secures Order for RTsys Side Scan Sonars
Klein Marine Systems, a leader in advanced sonar technology, announced the purchase from French Company RTsys of 20 high-resolution 900kHz side scan sonar systems to be integrated on their micro AUV platform NEMOSENS. The NemoSens® micro AUV, known for its compact design and robust performance, has already been equipped with Klein’s side scan sonar systems and delivered to a various of worldwide end users from both civil and defense sectors. These 900kHz sonar units are engineered to deliver high imaging quality and reliability, providing seabed mapping and object detection for micro
Norwegian Subsea Introduces Updated MRU Lineup at Ocean Business
solution delivers precise roll, pitch, and heave data in addition to independent heading and velocity. It removes dependency on RTK or GNSS signals, eliminating common vulnerabilities that challenge efficiency and quality in bathymetric surveying. Built for plug-and-play compatibility with sonar systems including multibeam echo sounders, interferometric sonars, side-scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers, and forward-looking sonars, Norwegian Subsea MRUs enable consistent, high-quality heave data in real time.The MRU 9000 series is aimed at marine surveyors seeking the highest quality multibeam motion
NUWC Division Newport Presents Awards to Students in RI Science and Engineering Fair
On March 19, U.S. Navy Reservist Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Quinn, an engineer in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, presented Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Division Newport Innovation Awards to the selected winners of the R.I. State Science and Engineering Fair held on March 15 at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick.Members of the Division Newport workforce also participated in the fair in which more than 200 high school and middle school students from across the state presented their respective projects
August 2025
