Australia is advancing the integration of ThayerMahan’s Outpost passive acoustic surveillance system with Ocius’ Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel (USV) to enhance maritime security.
As Australia is responsible for monitoring roughly 10 percent of the world’s ocean surface and about 59,700 kilometers (37,100 miles) of coastline, passive acoustic surveillance systems support the advancement of real-time signal processing to track maritime targets.
During ongoing testing, the Bluebottle USV serves as the deployment platform for the Outpost system and is used on missions such as illegal fishing detection, border security, and monitoring marine protected areas.
Outpost transmits data for global command and control, enabling autonomous detection, reporting, and threat alerts that support timely decision-making tailored to mission requirements.
It is also utilized in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare operations.
The systems integration “positions Australia’s USVs as a key platform for fielding networks of distributed underwater surveillance systems, supporting the AUKUS partnership’s requirement for advanced defense technologies,” stated ThayerMahan.
Enhancing Maritime Surveillance
ThayerMahan’s Outpost is a maritime surveillance system capable of operating autonomously for over 90 days by harvesting wave, solar, and wind energy.
It is deployed from small unmanned surface vessels and uses large passive towed sonar arrays positioned below the acoustic layer to provide extended-range acoustic sensing, from ports to the open ocean.
The system processes this data using artificial intelligence alongside human analysis to classify signals in real-time.
Ocius’ Bluebottle USV can be launched easily from a boat ramp or directly from a ship and has a speed of up to 5 knots (5.7 miles/9.2 kilometers per hour).
The vehicle supports a modular payload capacity of up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds).
Bluebottle features an intelligent networking system that allows multiple USVs to operate in coordination for team-based missions.
