Sea Machines Robotics has secured a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to supply its commercial, non-developmental, TRL-9 autonomy kits to US Special Operations Forces (SOF).
The contract will allow US Special Operations Forces to use Sea Machines’ autonomy systems on a range of vessels for expeditionary logistics, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and maritime security missions.
The “drop-in” autonomy kits use Sea Machines’ Autonomous Command and Control system and are designed to be installed on different types of vessels. According to the company, the kits can be deployed within hours, allowing the systems to be adapted to different missions and operational requirements.
Unmanned vessels and marine autonomy kits like those developed by Sea Machines have become a growing requirement for defense forces, particularly in the maritime domain across the globe, notably the Arabian Gulf, INDOPACOM, and the Baltic, providing naval commanders the ability to detect, track, and neutralize threats at sea.
“This award reflects a clear shift toward operational, ready-now autonomy that can be deployed wherever and whenever it’s needed,” said Erik Hedval, Director of Federal Business Captures for Sea Machines.
”Our maritime autonomy system delivers a true ‘drop-in’ capability, enabling Special Operations Forces to rapidly extend command and control, increase mission flexibility, and reduce risk to personnel in dynamic maritime environments.”