As tensions swell in global waters, the ocean’s vastness no longer guarantees anonymity for undersea vessels. In a strategic move to heighten maritime domain awareness, ThayerMahan Inc. and Ocius Technology Ltd. have joined forces, leveraging autonomous technology to keep a vigilant eye beneath the waves.
“The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, and there is a pressing need to expand our awareness of what lies beneath its surface,” said Mike Connor, Chairman and CEO of ThayerMahan, Inc. “Our collaboration with Ocius helps us to maximize the performance of our scalable surveillance systems. Together, we will help AUKUS nations know what is in the undersea domain – preserving their advantage in a changing and uncertain world.”
By fusing ThayerMahan’s Outpost passive acoustic surveillance system with Ocius’s Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel (USV), the partnership vows to deliver unparalleled undersea intelligence.
In an impressive four-day demonstration at the Association for Uncrewed Vessel Systems International XPONENTIAL conference in San Diego, California, in April 2024, the Outpost-Bluebottle amalgamation showcased its potent operational surveillance capabilities. A deep-towed passive acoustic array and onboard digital signal processor on the Bluebottle USV, positioned 10 miles offshore, streamed live data detecting and classifying contacts under the sea and in the air, providing near-real-time intelligence.
This technological synergy taps into ThayerMahan’s prowess in low-power acoustic sensors and AI-driven acoustic processing. At the same time, it harnesses Ocius’s expertise in robust autonomous vehicles powered by renewable wind, solar, and wave energy. The first two Bluebottle vehicles have already reached ThayerMahan’s headquarters, promising substantial undersea defense capabilities.
Beyond its defense applications, the Outpost system, mounted aboard the Bluebottle USV, is poised for maritime security, law enforcement, and environmental monitoring missions. It stands as a force multiplier for the US and Royal Australian Navies’ capital anti-submarine warfare assets, meeting the urgent need to uncover the ocean’s concealed depths.
The significance of this venture isn’t lost on Australian officials either. Hon Matt Thistlethwaite acknowledged that “Ocius is a great example of the ingenuity and cooperation of industry, academia and defence working together. Ocius’ business based in Randwick is partnering with UNSW to deliver innovative uncrewed maritime surveillance vessels for the Royal Australian Navy and the safety of Australia.”
Ocius CEO Robert Dane highlighted that “Both companies share a mutual love of technology and the sea and have complementary proven products. Recently, in San Diego, engineers from both companies worked as a team to combine ThayerMahan’s TRL8 (-9) Outpost system with our TRL8 (-9) Bluebottle USVs.”
Relevant articles:
– ThayerMahan and Ocius sign agreement to produce long-duration USV with acoustic sensor arrays to strengthen AUKUS Pillar II objectives, PR Newswire
– Bluebottle Adds a New Payload Capability, Defense.info
– FDNA and Genome Medical Improve Access to Critical Diagnostic Services for Children in Medically Underserved Areas, InvestorsObserver
– RestorationMaster Recently Made First Restoration America a New Addition to RestorationMasterFinder.com, IT News Online