DoD Looks for Advance Underwater Communication Solutions

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has announced funding opportunities as part of the AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025 for commercial technologies to solve undersea and information warfare issues.

As the second collaboration launched between the U.S.'s Defense Innovation Unit, Australia's Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, and the UK's Defence and Security Accelerator, the Challenge is seeking commercial companies with solutions that will enhance the tactical and operational capabilities of undersea command, control and communications while maintaining the integrity and security of communication for sea vehicles, even in the harshest underwater conditions.

The AUKUS nations — Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — are spearheading the next frontier in underwater warfare, says DoD.

Following the conclusion of the inaugural AUKUS EW Challenge in September 2024 that focused on electronic warfare technologies to strengthen deterrence, the second effort is centered on maritime autonomy and undersea warfare. Autonomous systems are essential for gaining operational advantage in complex environments such as undersea zones, where national interests and critical infrastructure are at stake.

This solicitation is looking to rapidly speed and scale solutions that will enhance the sensing, interpreting, and navigating capabilities of autonomous platforms to provide an operational advantage in all environments. Solutions should deliver advantages across capabilities such as:

• Providing near real-time communications between undersea vehicles.

• Providing near real-time communications from UVs to Command and Control (C2) Systems/Battle Management Systems (BMS).

• Providing near real-time communications between seabed systems to UVs, C2 Systems, and BMS.

• Providing a system that can optimally allocate the right asset to the right task in a dynamic and complex environment.

• Providing optimal bandwidth utilization and effective range, and perform in a contested/congested environment.

Across the AUKUS alliance there is a combined $9 million expected to fund 3-10 proposals. Applications close at noon pacific time on April 28. Technology model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment is required – Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6.