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
Kraken Wraps Up High-Res Route Survey Work in Australia
Canadian company Kraken Robotics has completed a contract to supply high-resolution seabed mapping sonar service to Precision Hydrographic Services (PHS), a customer supporting the Australian Department of Defence.The Australian Department of Defence project sought to undertake Hydrographic High Resolution Route Surveys (RS) for a number of Australian ports.The purpose of these surveys was to enable the collection of Maritime Geospatial Information (MGI) to support maritime domain awareness through the acquisition of high-resolution seabed foundation data and associated oceanographic data.Under the
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
MTR100: Profiling Subea Leaders - Apply Today!
In its September/October 2024 edition, Marine Technology Reporter will publish the 19th Annual MTR100. The MTR100 is a report and ranking of the 100 leading companies, people and technologies in the global subsea sector. Here’s a link to the 2023 edition.This is editorial, this is free, but to be considered for inclusion you must apply. The application can be found here: https://mtr100.marinetechnologynews.com/Company/
L3Harris, Seasats Trial Autonomous Ops
L3Harris Technologies joined maritime startup Seasats to test the advanced capabilities of an autonomous surface vessel (ASV) in the Pacific Ocean.Seasats and L3Harris demonstrated reliable, resilient and effective operations off the coast of Hawaii with a surfboard-size ASV after completing a 2,500-mile journey from San Diego, California, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The 10-week voyage also proved the ASV’s seaworthiness while continuously operating in challenging conditions.“The ability of ASVs to prove their prolonged and reliable operations in the ocean is critical for establishing their
Ukraine's Drone Success Shapes US Pacific 'Hellscape' Strategy
On a website run by the Ukrainian security service, donors anywhere in the world can pledge money to build Ukraine's cutting-edge "Sea Baby" unmanned maritime drones.It is a slick, professional site offering donors the chance to sign up for newsletters or even name the drone themselves if they donate the full $220,000 cost.Only six meters (20 feet) long and 60 cm (two feet) high above the water level, the craft can carry up to 850 kg of explosives up to 1,000 km (620 miles), often largely undetected thanks to its low profile and stealth material construction.Along with Ukraine's
Survitec Snags JMSDF Submarine Escape Suit Contract
Survitec won a multi-year servicing contract from Sojitz Aerospace, on behalf of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), to service Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE) MK11 suits carried on board its submarine fleet.With this contract, the company sets a new precedent, establishing an in-country servicing capability to accommodate the JMSDF’s SEIE servicing and maintenance requirements through a strategic partnership with Kawasaki head-quartered Marinair Liferaft Co. Ltd.Marinair Liferaft Co. will undertake the servicing of the SEIE MK11 suits in Japan in collaboration with
August 2024
