Australian Maritime College Visit

REMUS Reliable Ocean Robots Support Innovative Training

Darren Burrowes and Andrew Hazell were pleased to be hosted by Chris White, Manager of Defence and Autonomous Systems at AMC Search at the Australian Maritime College (AMC) in Launceston.

BlueZone visited AMC on December 8 to discuss collaborations on Autonomous Maritime Systems (AMS), particularly the training aspects associated with Project SEA 1905, the RAN Maritime Mine Countermeasures Program. AMC provides operational training while BlueZone provides depot-level support for REMUS and other unmanned system including Equipment Application Courses.

Members of the Royal Australian Navy train at the Australian Maritime College in the use of autonomous marine systems. AMC Search Defence and Autonomous Systems manager Chris White said the training had been developed “in lockstep” with the Navy and in August 2020 an agreement for a three-year extension of the contract, worth $1.5 million in the first year, was announced as secured between Navy and AMC.

AMC’s training focused not only on the logistics of launching an AUV but also on how to extract and analyse the data collected. The use of AUVs and unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, is becoming a focus of the Navy, as it allows it to monitor and collect data in areas deemed unsafe for humans. The collaboration between AMC and the RAN will develop homegrown expertise in the use and deployment of autonomous systems that will greatly enhance Australian capabilities at sea.

Critical to the success of the AMC training program has been the use of a REMUS 100 AUV as the training equipment for conduct of all courses. The REMUS 100 is the industry standard for a compact man portable AUV and has a pedigree of service with Australia’s 5EYES partners and over 21 navies. The proven reliability of the REMUS 100 is demonstrated in the training applications at AMC and for Navy operational use. Future course development could include the 300m rated REMUS 300 UUV providing Navy access to advanced features including open architecture and flexible energy options.

AMC Search is the preferred Autonomous Underwater Vehicle training provider for the RAN and BlueZone identified that the expertise delivered in that space is synergistic with its work in UUV and USV sustainment. BlueZone was impressed with the training being delivered by AMC Search and both organisations intend to build upon the visit to identify commercial collaborations moving forward.

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REMUS 300 – Maximum Flexibility in a Man-Portable UUV

Navy crews head to sea from Beauty Point in Launceston for practical training using the REMUS 100 AUV.