Unmanned Underwater Vehicles in the Maritime Domain

Launch of Navy Remote and Autonomous System & Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2040

The Royal Australian Navy has become very serious about the contribution newer technologies can make to the Navy’s future capabilities. On 9 October 2020 Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan launched the Navy’s Remote and Autonomous System & Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2040 (RAS-AI Strategy).

The RAS-AI Strategy will build upon existing experience including that of the Defence Science and Technology Group that operates UUVs, including the REMUS 100 and REMUS 600, for testing autonomous vehicle concepts for tasks such as underwater survey and maritime mine detection.

Concurrently, the RAN operates UUV REMUS 100 for hydrographic survey and seabed search and survey. This capability provides high-definition seabed search, depth rated up to 100m of water in addition to collecting soundings to meet charting standards in accordance with the International Hydrographic Organisation. The REMUS 100 can be deployed from a wharf, beach, zodiac or the Deployable Geospatial Support Teams recently introduced Survey Craft.

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Unmanned Vehicles in the Maritime Domain

Sailors from the clearance diving and mine warfare communities are introduced to the Remote Environmental Monitoring Unit System (REMUS) Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (AUV) used in shallow water mine countermeasures (MCM) and hydrographic reconnaissance by Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Smith from the United States Explosives Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five during a joint USN/RAN exercise held in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia. Credit: CoA / Bradley Darvill.

Member’s of Singapore navy’s 194 Squadron, mine countermeasures group with the REMUS mine countermeasure vessel during the 2018 Western Pacific Naval Symposium Dive Exercise at HMAS Creswell. Credit: CoA / Justin Brown.