Sentiq Defence has announced the start of operations as an Italian integrator of autonomous and remotely operated maritime systems for defense, security and the blue economy.
Founded by a former Italian Navy mine warfare officer, Antonio J. Belfiore, the company debuts with a complete offering of uncrewed surface, underwater and aerial systems and sonars for port and infrastructure protection to address evolving naval and maritime security requirements.
Monitoring underwater areas is increasingly important for navies, energy operators, port authorities, telecommunications companies and coast guards, which must cover large areas with limited resources. Autonomous systems can extend monitoring coverage while reducing personnel requirements, operational risks and costs. However, integrating platforms, sensors and software from different suppliers can present challenges due to incompatible interfaces, support arrangements and export restrictions.
Sentiq addresses these challenges by adapting and integrating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) platforms and payloads to specific mission requirements. The company plans to provide these systems, including training and through-life logistical support, through a single point of contact in Italy.
Specifically, Sentiq’s offering covers three domains: surface, underwater and air. The SQ family of modular USVs will be configurable for hydrographic survey, environmental monitoring, offshore asset inspection and persistent surveillance, as well as defense missions such as mine countermeasures (MCM) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
In the underwater segment, the firm plans to supply sonars for detecting intruders, in fixed (SQ DDS) and portable (SQ PDDS) versions, and long-range (SQ UDS) to protect ports, naval bases, coastlines and critical infrastructure, supported by inspection-class ROVs. It will also work on tactical aerial drones that extend the surveillance reach of surface assets beyond the horizon.
“I spent most of my career at sea, in mine warfare, and later training the people who do this job,” said Antonio J. Belfiore, Founder and CEO of Sentiq Defence.
“I learned that technology rarely fails on its own: what fails is integration. Sentiq was created to give anyone who works at sea – navies, coast guards, port and energy operators – full control of their domain: mission-focused solutions developed with our international partners, tailored here in Italy and supported by people who have done the job themselves. That, for us, is why we operate under the principle of 'Command your space'."