The Coast Guard announced Wednesday it will invest nearly $350 million to expand robotics and autonomous systems, strengthening mission execution and operational capabilities. The funding, provided under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), includes $11 million in fiscal year 2025 for immediate upgrades to critical autonomous systems. Initial investments include: $4.8 million to procure 16 VideoRay Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to replace Deployable Specialized Forces’ aging fleet.

International subsea survey and inspection company Sulmara has opened a new office in Bristol, strengthening its technical leadership and accelerating innovation in subsea data solutions. The new office is now home to a specialist team, focusing on enterprise data infrastructure, software development and data analytics driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). They will help transform how offshore survey data is collected, processed, and delivered, and their work will reduce the number of people working offshore, improve survey accuracy, and shorten project timelines.

Terradepth, a seabed information company, successfully completed an IHO S-44 Special Order survey with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). This achievement meets one of the most stringent international standards for hydrographic accuracy. Using advanced AUV technology, Terradepth demonstrated that high-specification surveys no longer require costly, high-footprint operations.

As a result of this agreement, NextGeo shall be the primary provider for geotechnical seabed survey services, to support the development of offshore substations (OSS), pivotal for the integration of new offshore windfarms in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and the fortification of the European power grid.

Exail has achieved a major milestone in maritime autonomy with its DriX O-16 transoceanic uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). The 16-meter platform has just completed an unprecedented 1,100-nautical-mile (2,000 km) transit from La Ciotat – France, to Troia – Portugal, to join NATO’s REPMUS 2025 exercise.

With government estimates suggesting hundreds of thousands of unexploded ordnance (UXO) devices remain in UK waters from World War I and II, and with a growing number of offshore wind projects planned for these waters, developers are increasingly facing these hidden dangers as they survey the seabed.

Forum Energy Technologies has unveiled its next generation remotely operated vehicle (ROV) control system – ICE Unity. In what is a significant leap forward for ROV control technology, the introduction of ICE Unity meets the increasing sector demand for data and control access from outside the core control system.

Kongsberg Discovery and Aker Solutions are joining forces to showcase a drone (UAV) detection system in Stavanger, using Kongsberg’s Drone Detection Radar. This marks the beginning of a broader rollout of infrastructure products in the North Sea to enhance situational awareness around offshore assets and transit lanes. Kongsberg Discovery develops subsurface, acoustic, navigation, and marine robotics systems, including AUVs and USVs. The company’s technologies are used in navigation and infrastructure protection, offering products such as Drone Detection Radar, Mobile Broadband Radio, integrated camera systems, and acoustic solutions for subsea monitoring and surveillance.

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract with REACH Subsea ASA for the design, construction and delivery of two additional unmanned surface vessels (USVs), expanding the pioneering REACH REMOTE fleet.

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The Saab-led MANGROVE consortium has been selected by NATO to lead the Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Network project (AUWB-MN). The project formally commenced 1 September 2025 and will deliver interoperability for Maritime Uncrewed Systems and conventional platforms across allied nations.

Eureka Naval Craft, AIRCAT Vessels S.A.S., and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) today announced a landmark agreement to accelerate safe development of high-speed Unmanned and Autonomous Surface Vessels (USVs/ASVs) for both naval defense and offshore energy operations.

Fugro and NOAA Ocean Exploration have entered into a five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to design and deploy remote and uncrewed technologies that will accelerate deep-ocean mapping and characterisation. This public–private partnership aims to close critical data gaps in one of the least understood parts of our planet, enabling informed decisions about offshore energy, marine resource management and national security.

Oceanology International is issuing a ‘Call for Content’ reminder in its drive to bring together the brightest minds in the ocean innovation and technology industries for another wide-ranging curated conference programme next March at London’s ExCeL.

The exercise combines REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) - the world’s premier event for maritime robotics and unmanned technologies - with Dynamic Messenger (DYMS), part of NATO’s continuous operational experimentation initiative.

RTS is pleased to announce the acquisition of J1W, a respected Aberdeen-based specialist in ROV Ro botics and Tooling. This strategic move is part of RTS’s ongoing expansion plans and further strength ens the company’s position as a leading provider of subsea equipment and services. With the acquisition, RTS continues to invest in innovation and the development of a new tooling work shops with a significant increase in its fleet of subsea rental tools and robotic arms.

Underwater survey equipment rental specialist Stema Systems has ordered the first of what will be a growing fleet of Sonardyne technologies in its fast-expanding equipment pool. The Netherlands-based company has ordered Sonardyne’s Mini-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) tracking system and multiple Wideband Sub Mini 6+ (WSM 6+) transponders as it looks to continue its expansion in Europe.

Deep Ocean Search (DOS), a leading deep-sea exploration company, has selected Exail to provide the navigation and acoustic positioning capabilities required for its upcoming missions. As part of this collaboration, DOS will deploy Exail’s Rovins 9-DVL navigation system and Gaps M7 acoustic positioning system, enabling operations at depths of up to 6,000 meters.