Director General Warfare innovation Navy (WIN) Branch, Commodore Darron John Kavanagh, this morning briefed on an 'underwater Loyal Wingman' project involving Trusted Autonomous Systems and Cellula Robotics.
The program is one of three programs underway for an Australian AUV capability.
Initiated and overseen by Trusted Autonomous Systems, and funded by the RAN's Warfare Innovation Navy (WIN) Branch, with expertise, hardware and manufacturing from Cellula Robotics, the SeaWolf pilot project will develop a demonstrator 12m Autonomous Underwater Vessel (AUV) and existing technologies by early 2023.
This project has been under discussion with RAN for 12 months and under contract for 6 months.
Cellula Robotics are reportedly in the final stages of establishing an Australian based entity to further the next stages of this project, including Australian-based manufacturing.
The SeaWolf project is engaging with a range of Australian-based experts to deliver a prototype AUV and to harness technology, manufacturing and regulatory expertise to develop future AUV capability for the RAN.
TAS have contracted Cellula Robotics, Mission Systems, Ocean Wave Consulting, East Consulting Services and Cellula Robotics have also engaged a range of expert sub-contractors on this exciting project including the world renown Ron Allum Deepsea Services.
“TAS are excited to see the progress on the SeaWolf project across engineering, manufacturing, regulatory, control, propulsion and other supporting technologies and concepts," Professor Jason Scholz said. "The novel technologies and demonstrated capabilities at Cellula Robotics made them a partner of choice; and plans underway to establish an Australian Cellula entity will bring them closer to the sovereign enterprises in Australia already working on delivering our concept of an underwater loyal-wingman to the Royal Australian Navy."