Ranges are a critical to support ongoing underwater operations. They provide a controlled environment to calibrate and validate sensors, determine acoustic source levels for submarines and ships, and provide safety and ground-truth data for undersea warfare exercises and torpedo firings. They are commonly used to support submarines, anti-submarine warfare tools and mine warfare. Underwater ranges are complex systems requiring specialist tools to help deploy, recover and accurately track the equipment and kit while submerged.
Essential tools for underwater range operations
This is where the right equipment can determine the difference between success and failure. If you are operating a range here is a handy list of tools:
- Acoustic pingers: Acoustic pingers are used to track underwater targets. Our technology partner Sonardyne offers commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) acoustic pingers that can be easily deployed to track a range of targets using other COTS systems. Alternatively, for specialist requirements our technology partner Chelsea Technologies can design, develop and manufacture bespoke pingers to meet customer’s specific needs.
- Ultra-short baseline: An underwater acoustic positioning system used to determine the precise location of submerged objects. It consists of an array of transducers (sound emitters and receivers) deployed from the surface, and is used to track a transponder (a device that emits an acoustic signal when triggered) attached to the object being tracked. Sonardyne offer the world-leading Ranger 2 family of USBL systems enabling different solutions that can be tailored for your use.
- Acoustic releases: These systems are equipped with mechanical release mechanisms triggered by an acoustic signal. They offer many practical uses for range operations, the most common use is to deploy objects to the seabed or buoys to the surface enabling the operator to deploy and recover sensors remotely and securely. Sonardyne releases are sold with deck units to operate them but they are also part of the same acoustic family as the Ranger 2 USBL meaning that the USBL can also be used to track and operate them.
- Echo repeaters and acoustic sources: These systems are used to test and calibrate low and high-frequency sonars used in the range. They can be used to transmit custom signals, and to reply to a calibrated source level and mirror the received signal introducing Doppler effects and reflections. Chelsea Technology’s ERAS is a compact solution easily deployable from vessels of opportunity with minimal logistics operating over a wide frequency range.
Train like you fight
Most naval ranges require significant infrastructure and maintenance, and they are busy supporting existing naval capabilities. With a new generation of uncrewed systems being developed in large numbers, additional capacity and scalable solutions are needed.
To develop a solution to this bow wave of need for additional underwater acoustic and tracking range capability and capacity, Forcys has been working in conjunction with Sonardyne to supply the Position Vector Transponder (PVT). These PVTs form the heart of a deployable system and can be delivered — on a lean budget — anywhere at any depth. They deliver high positional accuracy and can track across a larger volume of water than a USBL solution. They can be scaled down or up to meet specific concepts of operation requirements. This system has already been demonstrated in partnership with QinetiQ at MoD BUTEC and REPMUS.
Using the same building blocks as the permanently deployed solution at Smart Sound Plymouth, our solutions are proven and deliver results needed to get our warfighters ready.
If you would like to find out more please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Forcys, a global leader in underwater defence technology, and DRASS, a renowned name in the manufacturing of diving systems and underwater vehicles, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at revolutionising underwater operations.
Forcys integrates and brings to the defence market world-changing solutions from leading technology partners Chelsea Technologies, EIVA, Sonardyne, Voyis, and Wavefront Systems. These companies are renowned for their innovative offerings in underwater and maritime operations, making them ideal partners for DRASS.
Luca Biasci, SDV & LUUV Program Manager at DRASS, emphasizes the significance of this collaboration: “DRASS has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation in the underwater domain. With this partnership, Forcys’ robust portfolio of advanced payload technologies will be integrated with our Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LUUVs), RONDA, expanding our suite of solutions to meet the evolving demands of the underwater sector.”
Under this agreement, Forcys’ advanced underwater vehicle systems and sensor payloads will complement DRASS’ capability to meet the evolving needs of navies.
Antonio J. Belfiore, who leads sales in the Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa (EMEIA) region for Forcys, recently visited DRASS headquarters in Livorno, where the final details of the agreement were ironed out.
“We are thrilled to partner with DRASS, a company that shares our commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Antonio J. Belfiore. “This partnership allows us to combine our expertise and provides customers with state-of-the-art systems that enhance operational capabilities and ensure safety and efficiency in underwater missions.”
Both companies are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the underwater domain, leveraging their combined expertise to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to defence markets worldwide.
Multi-Aperture Sonar (MAS) systems have been designed to deliver high-frequency, high-resolution, and long-range imaging data to improve the probability of detection of unexploded ordnance (UXO), mine-like objects, and improvised explosive devices (IED) while minimising the probability of false alarms.
MAS outperforms traditional side-scan in virtually all underwater environments and is also known to deliver data approximating synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) at a fraction of the power required. Where MAS truly comes into its own is when operating in shallow to very shallow waters (SW, VSW) across the littoral. In these waters, the acoustic environment is particularly hostile. The output from traditional side-scan and synthetic apertures sonars (SAS) is affected by higher order multi-path reverberation, unstable velocity of sound profiles, often unknown, as well as significant bathymetry, baseline decorrelation effects and platforms that are unstable. The result is far less reliable end sonar products with greater impact to longer range systems. This is particularly acute in tidal and riverine environments.
However, the ease of MAS operations is not to be underestimated when planning a deep-water campaign. Effective operations save time and money.
Because MAS is simple to operate it can be easily integrated into your application. The following are just a few examples in the public domain that illustrate where Solstice MAS from our technology partner Wavefront Systems has been integrated:
- Viperfish ROTV: This remotely operated towed vehicle manufactured by our technology partner EIVA, has been specifically designed to deliver a next-generation mine hunting capability to uncrewed surface vessels.
- L3Harris Iver 4 AUV: As part of a combined module with Voyis insight optical systems providing a one of a kind classify and identify capability.
- The Triton from Ocean Aero: This hybrid platform capable of sailing to a remote location and diving to acquire high quality seabed data. Read more here.
- Autosub Long Range AUV: A long range autonomous underwater vehicle manufactured by the National Oceanographic Centre. Find out more by following this link.
- Bluefin-9 and Bluefin-12 AUVs from GDMS: Equipped as standard and chosen to support the Royal Australian Navy’s SEA 1778 programme.
- Seasword 2 USV: Selected Solstice as payload to deliver an MCM capability. For more information visit this news site.
- Double Eagle SAROV from SAAB: An MCM power horse, used to provide on stride classification, identification and neutralisation capabilities.
Some key differentiation is follows:
- Performance to power ratio: No other system produces highly detailed mine-hunting data while hardly making a dent on the hotel load of the host platform.
- Performance in shallow waters: In depths of up to 30 m depth, SAS or lower frequency side-scans can be affected by multipath effects from the surface and seafloor. For some SAS systems these effects can compromise as much as 50% of their swath. For Solstice, the impact will typically be less than 10%.
- Simpler to operate: Unlike SAS, Solstice is simple to plan for as the range remains constant regardless of vehicle speed. There is no risk of a data holiday caused by sudden accelerations from currents. The result is more predictable and simpler to manage surveys.
Did you know that a version of Solstice exists that doubles the along-track resolution. The S4000 is longer and consumes more power, 37 W including on-board real time processing, but delivers improved performance to support identification of smaller targets across the whole 200 m swath.
If you would like to find out more please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Forcys is excited to announce they have been selected by Ocean Aero as a payload provider for their world-leading autonomous underwater and surface vehicle (AUSV), the Triton.
The Triton is the world’s only environmentally powered AUSV. Completely solar and wind powered, it can travel at speeds of up to 5 knots and can submerge for up to 5 days at 2 knots.
A true multi-domain workhorse, the Triton can be used as a force multiplier for defence operations, offering easy logistics, launch, and recovery while evading detection using autonomous avoidance and deep diving capabilities.
Forcys will be supplying Ocean Aero with SPRINT-Nav Mini, the world’s smallest hybrid acoustic-inertial navigation technology from its technology partner Sonardyne and Solstice, the leading multi-aperture sonar (MAS) for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems, from its technology partner Wavefront Systems.
Forcys’ General Manager and Head of Global Sales, Dan Zatezalo welcomes their selection: “We are thrilled that Ocean Aero has chosen us as their payload provider for defence applications. Their revolutionary technology is a great complement to our offer, and we think their customers are going to love the results. We look forward to working with them in driving the autonomous ocean defense technology sector forward.”
Bob Marthouse, COO from Ocean Aero said; “A key differentiation in our selection process is the performance to power ratio. We need to maximize the value from our payloads while managing the power consumption to sustain our mission goals. This is where the technology from Forcys makes a significant difference. On our last mission, everyone was highly impressed with the Solstice MAS.” With Forcys’ marine defence market expertise, alongside its access to many technology partners, and Ocean Aero’s many applications for the Triton, the partnership looks set to be a revolutionary and fruitful one.
Over 80% of global trade is seaborne. About two-thirds of the world’s oil and gas supply is either extracted at sea or transported by sea and up to 99% of global data flows are transmitted through undersea cables. None of this information is new but it pays to remind ourselves of these facts at a time when reliance on undersea infrastructure has never been higher and is likely only to increase.
The National Protective Security Agency (NSPA) provides the UK government’s definition of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). While the definition applies to all infrastructure, not just maritime, terms like cables and pipelines are absent. CNI is defined by the impact of loss of its availability, integrity or delivery of essential services. The global economy and need for energy security leads us to conclude that a great deal of that seabed infrastructure is critical to the national interest.
Your infrastructure is at risk
Just as the technological explosion of land and air drones is re-writing land doctrine in Ukraine, the development of highly capable remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles has put more of our seabed based national infrastructure at risk from our from our adversaries. While communication pipelines tend to be buried, the nodes and shallow infrastructure are vulnerable, and oil and gas infrastructure is largely exposed and detectable with rudimentary technology.
Technology options
So how do modernising navies regain the advantage and protect our critical national infrastructure? Sub-surface and Seabed Warfare is not new, nor is it a discrete domain of underwater warfare. During Forcys’ discussions with navies around the world, we see the distinctions increasingly blurred between: port and harbour defence; persistent area surveillance; mine warfare; mine countermeasures; environmental protection compliance; hydrographic survey and military data gathering; intelligence collection; anti-submarine warfare and submarine operations. The enabling factor in this is off-board systems. Off-board systems can provide more mission options on increasingly scarce platforms. Containerised solutions provide operational flexibility to switch between roles.
Navies are wise to consider the technical solutions that have been developed for the offshore energy and scientific research sectors. The offshore industries routinely deploy autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) systems, remotely operated vehicles (ROV) systems, and towed vehicles – all capable of detailed inspections. The same technology that monitors pipeline health – from side-scan sonar to high-resolution laser scans and optical imagery – can be repurposed to identify suspicious activity. In the same way that the effectiveness of a navy is multiplied when it operates at sea (within reasonable limits it could be anywhere), the presence of credible autonomous systems provides an effective deterrent to an adversary. Exploration in deep water is leading to resident AUV and ROV systems performing surveys and maintenance between underwater re-charging and data transfer. These systems can be supported by precise positioning networks and through water communications to enable real-time monitoring, warning, and response. From a defensive perspective the presence of credible autonomous systems employed randomly in an outward surveillance mode may deter an adversary from their course of action.
Recent workshops relating to use of unmanned systems and the likelihood of our forces needing to operate in diverse and potentially unfamiliar environments to protect our nation’s interests all raise a common observation: that industry holds the bulk of the knowledge of what infrastructure lies on the seabed, what that infrastructure is carrying (to allow an assessment of how important it is) and the environmental conditions of the area. Recognising that offshore companies have paid large sums to obtain this data, some of which could be useful to a competitor, there is no appetite to freely share such information. A frequent comment by naval officers is that “you would not believe just how much infrastructure there was on the seabed”. This begs the question of whether navies are ready to operate safely and effectively within such an unfamiliar and poorly understood environment.
Partnerships
So, how can companies be encouraged to release the data they hold? Abstracted to a problem of source protection, security and sharing the answer is, optimistically, yes: anything is possible. But realistically, to overcome significant challenges including multinational ownership, individual company vulnerabilities and cost of implementation this must be government led. At Forcys we are encouraged by initiatives like NATO Digital Ocean and the establishment of the CNI Hub at NATO Maritime Command. At a national level in the UK where I am based, there is surely a role for the NSPA or UK Hydrographic Office in managing a limited access database of seabed infrastructure within the UKs Exclusive Economic Zone for use by UK Defence if required. Perhaps the most compelling reason to support data sharing is the benefits that the improved protection will bring. Time will tell.
Ultimately, the short-term future of seabed warfare does not lie exclusively in expensive new unproven technologies, but in smarter ways to use the tools we already possess alongside breakthrough capabilities. By working together, we can ensure the safety of our underwater lifelines, keeping the lights on and the world connected. At Forcys, we understand both the threat and the technology. We want to be where technology, experience and innovation meets security.
Justin Hains MBE left the Royal Navy in 2020. Among other professional qualifications, he completed the Advanced Mine Warfare Course and the Amphibious Operations Planning Course during a career as a Mine Warfare Clearance Diving Officer and Principal Warfare Officer (Underwater).
Forcys, a leading global maritime defence company, and SH Defence, part of SH Group, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the integration of Forcys’ advanced solutions into SH Defence’s Cube™ Modular Mission Capability system. The signing took place during the Combined Naval Event (CNE) in Farnborough (UK), with Ioseba Tena, Managing Director of Forcys, and Jimmy Gehring Sales Director of SH Defence, in attendance.
Forcys integrates and brings to the defence market world-changing solutions from leading technology partners Chelsea Technologies, EIVA, Sonardyne, Voyis, and Wavefront Systems. These companies are renowned for their innovative offering in underwater and maritime operations, making them ideal partners for SH Defence’s Cube™ system.
The Cube™ Modular Mission Capability system is the future in Maritime mission modularity. Capable of turning (almost) any platform into a future-proof multi-mission capability using interchangeable modules for all four dimensions of modern warfare.
This agreement follows the successful recent delivery of a Containerised ROTV (Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle) solution to a NATO Navy. In this project, Forcys’ sister company EIVA A/S delivered a ScanFish L ROTV, which was seamlessly integrated into an SH Defence Cube™, demonstrating the potential of this collaborative integration.
“We are excited about the opportunities this MOU brings,” said Ioseba Tena, Managing Director of Forcys. “Integrating our advanced solutions with the Cube™ system will provide operational flexibility and capability to naval forces worldwide. This collaboration underscores our commitment to enhancing maritime defence through innovation and strategic partnerships.”
Jimmy Gehring, Sales Director of SH Defence, echoed this sentiment, stating, “we are proud of the future cooperation with Forcys and look forward to promote our joint efforts to the defence industry.”
The MOU marks a significant step towards a deeper collaboration between Forcys and SH Defence. Both companies are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in naval operations, leveraging their combined expertise to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to defence markets worldwide.
Explosive ordnance, such as mines, pose a significant threat to naval operations, offshore energy projects, and other maritime activities. Traditional methods of disposing of these hazards often put personnel and equipment at risk as they require divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to approach the ordnance closely and manually initiate the detonation process.
The Initiation Transponder 6 (IT 6) from our technology partner Sonardyne, when integrated with mine neutralisation devices mounted on a VideoRay Mission Specialist Defender underwater robot, provides a remote, autonomous, safe and effective solution for mine clearance operations. This technical collaboration allows for acoustic initiation and detonation from a remote location, eliminating the need for and risks associated with physical proximity to the ordnance.
The integration of the Defender and mine neutralisation devices with the IT 6 represents a significant advancement in the field of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).
How it works:
- The IT 6 is connected to a non-electric mine neutralisation device, which is deployed near the contact by the Defender.
- Once the neutralisation device is in place, the Defender can be manoeuvred to a safe distance, typically around 1 kilometre away.
- Using Sonardyne’s Wideband 2 digital signal technology, the IT 6 receives an acoustic command to arm the charge from a surface vessel or command centre. A subsequent command then initiates the shock tube and detonates the neutralisation device.
- The entire process can be carried out in most weather conditions and during day or night, enhancing operational flexibility and safety.
Benefits:
- Enhanced safety: By eliminating the need for physical proximity to the contact during detonation, the combination of the IT 6 and Defender significantly reduces the risk to personnel and assets.
- Increased operational efficiency: The autonomous delivery and wireless initiation capability streamlines the process, allowing for faster and more efficient mine clearance operations.
- Versatility: The IT 6 and Defender can be used in various underwater environments, including deep-water operations, making it suitable for a wide range of clearance missions. The underwater robot is designed for more precise control of the vehicle position and orientation, heavier payloads and demanding interventions. With seven thrusters, it can move in any direction and maintain active pitch to face its target in an upward or downward orientation.
- Proven technology: Sonardyne’s Wideband 2 digital signal technology draws on a fifty-year heritage; it is field-proven, ensuring reliable and long-range underwater wireless communication. The Defender draws on VideoRay’s twenty-five years of ROV design experience and is built with power, reliability and flexibility in mind.
- Multi-shot: the IT 6 can be fired multiple times, making deck tests and practice runs affordable. In addition, if a mission is aborted the kit can be safely recovered and reused. The explosive charge and the IT 6 are only sacrificed on confirmed contacts.
- Cost: Once the initial investment has been made for the technology, the cost per deployment is significantly lower than sending personnel on each mission. If multiple ROVs are deployed, they can be controlled from one vessel or control room, thus further reducing costs.
Demonstration
In 2022, the IT 6 and the Defender were demonstrated together for the first time to the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the UAE Navy at a quarry in Wales.
The demonstration included successful detonations of a mine neutralisation device, delivered by the Defender and initiated by the IT 6, from a range of approximately 1 kilometre.
As armed forces around the world move towards more autonomous operations on land, in the air and under the sea, there will be increased demand for the utilisation of existing and the development of new technology.
The benefits in terms of safety, efficiency, adaptability and cost are obvious, not just in mine countermeasures; and the collaboration between market leaders, such as Forcys, Sonardyne and VideoRay, will be at the forefront of driving advances in the technology. Contact us to see how we can help you be there too.
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Did you know that another of our technology partners, Voyis, manufacture the market’s technically leading ROV piloting camera? The Discovery camera from Voyis enhances your identification by delivering crisp 4K images of your targets in real-time. The ideal complement to the IT 6 and Defender. Find out more in a blog coming soon…
When UK-based technology SME SubSea Craft needed a reliable navigation system for a ground-breaking surface to subsea maritime delivery platform there was only one possible solution…
SubSea Craft deliver next-generation capability solutions to support maritime manoeuvres. With extensive defence and commercial experience across a range of sectors, they bring together best-in-class partners from the maritime, technology, and defence sectors to deliver a technical edge to their clients.
VICTA is the first in a series of multi-domain platforms which will enable users to conduct a range of discrete military operations. It is capable of a high-speed surface transit before rapidly switching to a subsurface mode for covert delivery of divers and/or equipment.
The platform is deployable as an individual asset or as a force multiplier, capable of enhancing maritime operations through networked, crewed, or autonomous modes.
When developing VICTA, their next-generation maritime delivery platform in 2019 they identified the need for a navigation system and a forward-looking sonar to assist navigation in congested and poorly charted areas of operations, and as an additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) effect to support specific mission requirements. Both technologies had to be able to withstand the shock and vibration of high-speed surface transit and the pressure associated with transition from surface to subsea modes.
The components also needed to be compact enough to be fitted and operate within a limited space while delivering reliable, mission-critical, navigation information to the pilot in an easy to digest format so operators can maintain focus on mission critical activity.
With decades of experience in both maritime technology and complex integration behind them, this was a challenge that Covelya Group companies Forcys, Sonardyne and Wavefront combined forces to meet.
The solution
Combining tightly coupled solutions from Forcys technology partners to create a fully integrated navigation and forward-looking sonar system delivers best in class capability to the VICTA platform.
SPRINT-Nav 300 from our technology partner Sonardyne met VICTA’s stringent navigational accuracy requirements. It combines Sonardyne’s proven SPRINT INS (Inertial Navigation System), Syrinx DVL (Doppler Velocity Log) and a high accuracy intelligent pressure sensor in a single housing, making it one of the smallest combined inertial navigation instruments on the market.
Because it is designed for both surface and subsea navigation, it can withstand the associated pressure changes as VICTA switches modes. It also saves vital mission time as it requires no gyro calibration manoeuvres on start-up. Its compact size means that it minimises the impact on the limited space available.
VICTA is also fitted with a Vigilant FLS 1500 – a long-range, Forward-Looking Sonar from our technology partner Wavefront Systems. Vigilant is a real-time navigation and obstacle avoidance sonar, able to detect objects in the water column at up to 1.5 km away while generating a high resolution, easy to interpret 3D terrain map of the seabed and water column ahead – out to 600 m.
Vigilant FLS can be integrated into autonomous platforms to provide essential information to command-and-control systems to aid safe surface and subsurface navigation. The inclusion of Vigilant FLS provides safety and mission success benefits when used on both manned and autonomous operations.
David Henson Chief Technical Officer for SubSea Craft said: “At SSC our ethos is to maximise the use of cutting-edge technology to drive innovation and deliver battle winning capability. We have been very impressed with how successfully Forcys and its technology partners have been able to work together and seamlessly integrate with our existing systems to deliver an excellent solution.”
The results
Despite the complexities of working on a highly complex unfamiliar platform, we were able to call on many years of experience and knowledge to ensure successful integration of SPRINT-Nav and Vigilant FLS onboard VICTA.
With many other complex and safety-to-life critical systems onboard, it was vital that all the technology was integrated without interference and leaving the complex layers of systems able to communicate with each other. Again, success here lay in our experience and ability to adjust our products to exquisite use cases, which are becoming more prevalent in the defence sector.
Justin Hains, Forcys Business Development Manager, commented; “SubSea Craft’s progressive application of technology presents a world of opportunities for future operations, and we are delighted to work with them. The breadth of experience within our technology partners in Covelya Group means that we are well placed to provide the technology required for VICTA to achieve its operational potential.”
Sea trials for VICTA are continuing successfully as SubSea Craft develop the platform to meet the demands of increasingly autonomous defence operations.
If you have similar navigational requirements, please get in touch.
In testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May 2023, Assistant Secretary of State Jessica Lewis stated that “[AUKUS] Pillar II may have arrived just in time,” referring to a generally accepted assessment that China is ahead of the United States and its allies in 19 of 23 technologies relevant to AUKUS Pillar II. While advancing the state of the art in all of Pillar II technologies is an important goal in addressing this gap, we can immediately shift the balance in those areas contributing to subsurface and seabed warfare (SSW) through existing and proven capabilities. Collectively, the AUKUS participants can address this technological imbalance and do so at pace by leveraging commercially available vehicles, sensors, and payloads to get relevant capability into SSW warfighters’ hands.
To achieve this very near-term solution, the United States needs a comprehensive approach to navigate opportunities, overcome challenges, and reshape existing legislative frameworks to implement Pillar II.
Quantity Has a Quality All Its Own
Rightfully, the main buzz around AUKUS centers on Pillar I and the pathway to an indigenous Australian nuclear submarine. The breadth and scope of that endeavor—rolling up 75 years of the nuclear submarine ecosystem from two sovereign nations to create a brand new one in a third independent nation—is epic and without true precedent. In the case of nuclear-powered submarines, quality establishes its own quantity.
Pillar II headlines and discussions have focused on the advancement of relevant undersea technologies to push the state of the art in SSW through collaboration and mutual development of new capabilities. Implementing undeveloped, or newly developed technology and fielding at scale in useful numbers for warfighters still takes years in the US, acquisition reforms and alternative contracting methods notwithstanding. Moving up the technology readiness level (TRL) ladder is risky, time phased, and expensive.
However, in the SSW fight, small, uncrewed, autonomous vehicles, perhaps even those that are expendable or attritable, carrying a variety of sensors, and seafloor networks serving a variety of functions are available right now. Sensor systems with limited range or function deployed in significant numbers—quantity—offer meaningful options for a theater commander—a desirable quality, to be sure.
The near-term solution is to rapidly and widely implement existing commercially available technologies regardless of AUKUS nation of origin. Closing the perceived technology gap, referenced above, that was ceded over years will take years to win back. The Replicator initiative tacitly acknowledges the challenge of regaining the technology edge through its approach to rapidly deploy legions of autonomous platforms within just a couple years.
Raising the Pillar, Lowering the Flag
Commercially available technology, in use by companies in conducting energy, communications, and ocean survey operations, and by ocean science and research institutes, is highly capable and available now to support SSW mission sets. Integrating sensors and payloads into existing vehicles for military rather than commercial operations is a low risk and quick way to address Pillar II goals. Facilitating this across national AUKUS boundaries, at least in the US, requires action from Congress, the Department of State (DoS), and the Department of Defense (DoD).
Three areas present hurdles: legislative action; modification of export controls through International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and management of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
Legislative Action
To date, only two bills referencing AUKUS have become law and both are National Defense Authorization Acts. Several bills are in early stages in either house of congress addressing various legislative changes or authorization. No DoS authorization act has been passed in recent years and none appropriating money for AUKUS activities. Without legislation or authorization, DoS cannot make changes to ITAR rules opening the door for accelerated movement of technical information and material within the AUKUS group. Stalled initiatives, such as the Senate’s Truncating Onerous Regulations for Partners and Enhancing Deterrence Operations (TORPEDO) Act of 2023 directly address the issues and should be enacted into law directly.
Adapting Export Controls
Long-standing exemptions for Canada covering technical data transfer and enumerated items on the US Munitions List (USML) allow the free flow of Pillar II technologies. DoS can adopt this same approach with our other most trusted partners. The same language and principles can be rapidly incorporated into our ITAR. “Pre-licensing” by carving out specified exemptions in the USML will quickly allow for seamless collaboration between government, research, and commercial entities under the AUKUS umbrella. Proposed legislation in both the House and the Senate leans into DoS to make these changes.
“Controlled AUKUS” Information Category
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) evolved from several threads of unclassified but sensitive, often export controlled, technical and other information. Both the DoD and DoS acknowledge this is a significant hurdle. Overclassification was characterized in 2023 by the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs as “unbelievably ridiculous” and this extends to overly controlling CUI. Further, improper markings and categorization throw sand in the gears. CUI is codified in DoD instruction but application is inconsistent and confusing and stymies what should otherwise be a smooth authorization process. Others have already suggested creating a special category to pre-clear the transfer of information within AUKUS channels. Creation of such a handling caveat may be effective in both the UK and Australia as each have their own processes for determining what is and what is not sensitive and what can be readily shared. A trilateral handling caveat could cut across the unique systems in place without having to reconcile the rules of each country.
Conclusion
Pillar II is moving forward within the current AUKUS ecosystem but more is needed than can be accomplished without changing that system. The need to address SSW gaps is pressing in the near term and the call for purposeful, prompt action by Congress, State, and Defense is clear.
This article was written by Captain Christian Haugen, USN (Ret.). Chris served as a US Navy submarine officer for 25 years retiring in 2010. From that time he has served as a leader and business development lead at well known companies within the defense industry.
