$18m contract award will hand divers control of seabed survey and EOD.

 

Since 2023, Greensea IQ has been helping armed forces take control of one of the most difficult areas in the battlespace, the surf zone. Combatting low visibility, uneven ground and monstrous swells, Bayonet, an amphibious underwater ground vehicle (AUGV) offers amphibious autonomy that can clear landing areas, assess beaches for hazards and provide forward comms for ground forces.

 

Now Greensea IQ have strengthened their command of the surf zone with the introduction of the Bayonet Underwater Controller (BUC), which enables divers to command and control a Bayonet while fully submerged. This new development forms part of the broader Bayonet technology stack, a family of interoperable systems developed to enable safer and more effective maritime operations from the surf zone to deeper environments, with the Bayonet systems being rated up to 100m.

 

BlueZone Group aren’t alone in thinking the BUC is a game changer, as this article comes hot on the heels of the US Navy awarding Greensea IQ a US$18.15 million Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide hardware, software, and engineering technical services for underwater controllers used to operate autonomous and remotely operated systems in maritime environments. This award highlights growing confidence in Greensea IQ’s integrated approach to subsea robotics and battlefield autonomy.

 

At the heart of the Bayonet portfolio is a scalable range of Autonomous Underwater Ground Vehicles (AUGVs) designed to operate where conventional underwater vehicles often struggle. The Bayonet range consists of the Bayonet 150, Bayonet 250 and Bayonet 350, each offering increasing size, payload capacity and endurance.

 

Operating on caterpillar tracks, the vehicles are designed to travel along the seabed, carry sensors and payloads, and execute missions in challenging environments such as surf zones, beaches, ports and littoral regions. Built around Greensea IQ’s autonomy architecture, the Bayonet platforms can support applications including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Mine Countermeasures (MCM), hydrographic survey, reconnaissance and underwater security operations.

 

The addition of the Bayonet Underwater Controller extends this capability by providing operators with direct underwater access to these robotic systems rather than relying solely on surface-based control stations.

 

What makes the introduction of the Bayonet Underwater Controller particularly significant is the software architecture behind it. The BUC is paired with EOD Workspace software and built on Greensea IQ’s Core open architecture software, allowing it to serve as a common interface across multiple robotic platforms.

 

Combining autonomy, navigation, communications, mission planning and operator control into a unified framework, the BUC puts the diver firmly in the driving seat. Rather than operating from a vessel or shoreline command post, operators can now interact directly with Bayonet systems while submerged. This allows divers to remain closer to the mission area, react to changing conditions more quickly and maintain greater situational awareness throughout an operation. Further to this, Bayonet’s rugged capability allows the diver to interact with environments outside their operating envelope, heading into breakers or depths of up to 100m to complete mission objectives.

 

The release of the Bayonet Underwater Controller represents a significant expansion of the solution set available to the Australian Defence Force. BlueZone Group has already been actively promoting the Bayonet AUGV family to Defence stakeholders, highlighting the capability’s suitability for clearance diving, surf zone operations and underwater reconnaissance.

 

The introduction of the BUC transforms the Bayonet offering from an autonomous vehicle platform into a more complete operational system. It aligns strongly with the Australian Defence Force’s increasing focus on autonomous systems, human-machine teaming and enhanced capability for maritime operations.

For the Royal Australian Navy’s Clearance Diving Branch and broader Defence special operations community, the ability to deploy, supervise and control underwater robotic systems directly from the subsea environment could provide a meaningful operational advantage. Combined with Bayonet AUGVs, EOD Workspace and Greensea IQ’s autonomy technologies, the Bayonet Underwater Controller represents another step toward a future where autonomous systems work seamlessly alongside divers to improve safety, extend operational reach and increase mission success rates.