Thales Australia will integrate its sovereign sonar sensor technology into “Speartooth,” a large uncrewed underwater vehicle (LUUV) made by Australian company C2 Robotics.
This partnership aims to enhance Speartooth’s autonomous navigation capabilities at long range with higher levels of safety, reliability, and precision, enabling it to perform a wide variety of missions.
Under the agreement, all the sensors and electronics for Speartooth will be designed and produced locally at Thales’ Acoustics Centre of Excellence in Rydalmere, Sydney.
“C2 Robotics have been collaborating with the Navy for several years on Speartooth and in that time they have demonstrated the maturity of the vessel,” said Troy Stephen, Vice President Underwater Systems at Thales Australia and New Zealand stated.
“We are very pleased to be able to support C2 Robotics’ focus on manufacturing scalability and their speed to capability ethos,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Royal Australian Navy’s Director General Maritime Integrated Systems Commodore Michael Turner expressed that “the Royal Australian Navy is very supportive of this partnership. It’s a great example of Australian Defence Industry collaborating to advance our maritime uncrewed systems.”
Autonomous Underwater Platform
C2 Robotics focused its Speartooth LUUV design on being low-cost and scalable for high-volume production and deployment.
It’s a naval vessel made for long-range and long-duration underwater operations, with a modular design featuring large payload bays to accommodate various mission-specific equipment.
The Speartooth is also fitted with a common command and control system for streamlined operations and vehicle management.
Additionally, it has direct propeller propulsion for rapid, quiet, and agile maneuvering, efficient long-distance underwater travel, and variable buoyancy propulsion for depth adjustment based on mission requirements.
