Oceaneering Wins US Navy Order for AUV
Oceaneering International’s Subsea Robotics and Aerospace and Defense Technologies segments have been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the US Department of Defense to build a Freedom™ AUV and establish an onshore remote operations center (ROC) for the US Navy. Oceaneering says its Freedom AUV offers the data resolution and completeness of coverage in a single pass usually only obtainable using an ROV, but with the speed and mission efficiency of a traditional AUV.The vehicle will be manufactured at Oceaneering’s Morgan City, Louisiana, facility. After conducting
Greensea IQ Nets $1.9M NAVSEA Contract to Enhance ROV System
Greensea IQ has secured a Phase II contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to enhance the capabilities of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) platform by integrating manipulators and providing one-operator control of the ROV and manipulator system.The contract, including options, is valued at $1.9 million and spans up to three years if all options are exercised.The integration of the systems will allow ROVs to perform increasingly complex tasks in marine environments, using a single control system for both the ROV and manipulator.This innovation aims to optimize performance, reduce operator
Singapore Boosts Undersea Might with Two New Submarines
Singapore commissioned two new advanced submarines on Tuesday, vessels its navy says are meant to protect sea lines of communication, and which experts said would range beyond the waters of the tiny city-state to keep tabs on the region.The country's fifth and sixth submarines, the Invincible and the Impeccable, were ordered from Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in 2013 in a 1-billion-euro deal, and join older Archer- and Challenger-class boats.They represent a technological step forward for Singapore's fleet, experts say, allowing the wealthy Southeast Asian nation to operate farther
Co. Innovation Centre in NL Opens Its Doors to the World
, collaborate and co-create. Meagan Kay-Fowlow, President of the Co. Innovation Centre, discusses how this unique facility will engage with organizations and technologists – both inside and outside of Newfoundland & Labrador – to positively impact work in the maritime, offshore energy and subsea sectors.A native of St. John’s and a graduate of Memorial University, Meagan Kay-Fowlow, President of the Co. Innovation Centre, had built a career outside of the province focused on innovation related to governance mechanisms at the global level.But the pull of her native Newfoundland &
Editorial : Inside the Power of Newfoundland & Labrador
Earlier this year I was invited to St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, to discover how the cumulative maritime, offshore energy and subsea industries have developed. I have a fairly long, nearly 20-year relationship traveling north of New York City, up the Atlantic coast of North America to its easternmost point and finding what is arguably one of the nicest, one of the heartiest and one of the most innovative populations per capita in the world.It had been many years since I last made the trek to St. John’s – but to be fair the Covid years put a hold on many trips –
OPT Bags $1M Contract from US Navy for Autonomous Maritime Tech
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) been awarded a follow-on contract valued at $1 million to further advance the operational capability of its autonomous maritime technologies to support the U.S. military and its allies.OPT secured the follow-on contract as a subcontractor to EpiSci after the successful 12-month demonstration of its autonomous surface vehicle technologies during the Mission Autonomy Proving Grounds (MAPG) as part of Project Overmatch.With this award, OPT will continue to ruggedize and enhance its operational capability of its autonomous maritime technologies to support the U.S. military
Russian 'Spy Whale' Hvaldimir Found Dead Near Norway
A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead, according to the non-profit organization that had been monitoring the whale.The body of Hvaldimir - a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin - was spotted floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekend, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported."Hvaldimir was not just a beluga whale; he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep bond
Exail Wins €60 Million NATO Contract for Underwater Mine Disposal Vehicles
Exail Robotics Belgium announced it has secured an order worth of nearly €60 million ($67 million) for K-Ster C underwater mine disposal vehicles, K-Ster CT training vehicles and associated equipment to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). These advanced systems are primarily intended for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands navies.The K-Ster units will be assembled at Exail’s production lines in its Belgian facility in Oostende. The factory, inaugurated in 2022, is already producing the range of drones for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies as part of the modernization
Australia Conducts First Maintenance of US Nuclear Submarine
A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine will undergo maintenance in Australia for the first time on Friday, a key step by AUKUS partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the defense ministers of Australia, Britain and the United States said.Australian personnel trained with the United States and Britain over the past year ahead of the submarine maintenance at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, involving personnel from the three nations."Our navies are committed to reinforcing the same guiding principles within Australia that have allowed the United States and United Kingdom to safely operate
Greensea IQ Contract to Further Develop USN Autonomous Vehicle
as an upgrade solution for systems currently running Greensea’s defense software suite and is used throughout Greensea’s own robot product line. Greensea is augmenting IQNS for this program with advanced autonomy capabilities for acquiring, classifying, and eventually neutralizing subsea threats while maintaining a significant standoff for EOD personnel. This new development is capable of upgrading the existing fleet of VideoRay Defender ROVs currently employed by the Navy and other defense forces.The Phase 4 objective of this contract focuses on further developing EOD Edge to incorporate
New Hydrographic Survey Solutions Passes UK MoD Test
A containerized remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV) solution - reportedly a first-of-its-kind - developed for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), has now successfully completed Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) – 6 months after the contract was awarded to EIVA. According to EIVA, the new survey solution enables hydrographic surveys with multiple acoustic survey sensors and instruments to be performed from many different host platforms with very short deployment time. "The agility with which this total solution has been developed showcases that by combining our efforts with several strong
US Navy Launches Attack Submarine USS Idaho
One of the U.S. Navy’s newest attack submarines, the future USS Idaho (SSN 799), launched from General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Groton, Ct. shipyard into the Thames River, August 6.The "float off," or launch, is a milestone in a submarine's construction, marking the moment it leaves the shipbuilder's facilities and enters the water for the first time, signaling the start of final outfitting, testing and crew certification.“Today’s launch is testament to the strong collaboration the Navy has with its shipbuilding partners,” said Capt. Mike Hollenbach
north.io Selected for Portuguese Hydrographic Institute Project
underwater assets.The Argus project addresses the challenges posed by "ghost ships"—vessels that deliberately conceal their position—and aims to provide real-time data analysis for underwater infrastructure. Collaborating with the GEOMAR-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Subsea Europe Services GmbH, north.io says it is set to transform how geodata is utilized for security and decision-making, ultimately enhancing Germany's capacity to safeguard critical maritime infrastructure
Rayha to Succeed Graney as President of General Dynamics Electric Boat
Mark Rayha has been selected to become the next president of Electric Boat, the submarine builder's parent company General Dynamics announced on Thursday.Rayha, who serves as the yard's current senior vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed Kevin Graney, who will retire at the end of this year. Rayha's appointment becomes effective December 1.Rayha joined General Dynamics in 1989 at Land Systems. He became CFO of General Dynamics Mission Systems in 2015. He joined Electric Boat in 2020 and served as CFO from 2021 to 2023. He became chief operating officer in 2023.General
Teledyne GAVIA AUV Service Center Opens in Poland
An official opening ceremony was held for the Gavia Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Service Center established by ENAMOR Limited in Gdynia, Poland.Having supported the Polish Navy´s expanding fleet of Gavia AUVs for over a decade, ENAMOR Limited has opened the Service Center in partnership with the Polish Naval Academy.Polish Navy Admirals, Captains and Officers attended the grand opening alongside representatives from Teledyne Gavia in Iceland, Teledyne Marine personnel from the United States and Europe, as well as various NATO partners and Gavia AUV Users.The Polish Navy’s initial
Belgian Navy Renews Contract with SeeByte
SeeByte said the Belgian Navy has renewed its contract for SeeTrack v4 and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) System licenses for its fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).The Belgian Navy is using SeeTrack for in-field mission planning and post-mission analysis using its fleet of HII REMUS 300 and 100 vehicles.SeeByte said it continually works with the Belgian Navy to include SeeByte’s software and training materials in its in-house training program at the NATO Naval Mine Warfare Centre of Excellence.The latest version of SeeTrack provides enhanced planning, monitoring and post mission
ABS and the US Coast Guard R&D Center Team Up for Maritime Tech Development
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the United States Coast Guard Research and Development Center (USCG-RDC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a stepping stone towards collaborative research and development on top-of-mind technologies impacting the maritime industry.Activity under the MoU can include developing joint research publications, new technology qualifications and information sharing in a variety of research areas including remote and autonomous systems for uncrewed surface and underwater vehicles, advanced data analytics involving artificial intelligence and machine learning
Canada Plans to Acquire Up to 12 Submarines
Canada, looking to shore up its defense of the Arctic, is moving ahead to acquire up to 12 submarines and has started a formal process to meet with manufacturers, the defense ministry said.Canada updated its defense policy this year with a focus on protecting the Arctic and dealing with challenges from Russia and China. The procurement of submarines is a critical step in implementing that strategy, the defense ministry said in a statement.Citing global warming, Canada says the Arctic Ocean could become the most efficient shipping route between Europe and East Asia By 2050, thus raising the need to
Germany, Eight Other Baltic Sea Nations Seek to Jointly Buy Naval Mines
Germany and eight other countries on the Baltic Sea aim to jointly procure naval mines, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday, as Russia is taking an increasingly assertive stance in the Baltic Sea region.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, Pistorius said Russia had been challenging the borders in the Baltic Sea time and again."Just recently we have seen how Russia tries to extend Russian territorial waters outside Kaliningrad. We are all unmistakably clear that we will not allow such advances," he said."To that end, we need the
August 2024
