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The US Department of Defense has announced the search for advanced underwater communications solutions to assist the future of US naval operations under the AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025.
The second collaboration is launched between the US’ Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Australia’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), and the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA).
The partnership will seek commercial companies with solutions that will enhance the tactical and operational capabilities of undersea command, control and communications while maintaining the integrity and security of communication for sea vehicles, even in the harshest underwater conditions.
“In an era where technological advancement is key to maintaining global maritime security, the AUKUS nations – Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States – are spearheading the next frontier in underwater warfare,” the US DOD said in a published statement.
“Through AUKUS Pillar II, DIU is seeking commercial solutions to strengthen warfighting capabilities for the Department of Defense by pioneering new systems that will maximise lethality of uncrewed maritime operations and enhance decision-making readiness in real time across the underwater domain.
“Following the conclusion of the inaugural AUKUS EW Challenge in September 2024 that focused on electronic warfare technologies to strengthen deterrence, the second effort in the series that is being launched today is centred on maritime autonomy and undersea warfare.
“Autonomous systems are essential for gaining operational advantage in complex environments such as undersea zones, where national interests and critical infrastructure are at stake. AUKUS is seeking solutions that will drive next-generation communications systems, empowering autonomous platforms to operate safely, efficiently and with maximum operational impact.
“Across the AUKUS alliance there is a combined US$9 million expected to fund 3–10 proposals. Applications close at noon pacific time on April 28.”
The partnership is envisioned to rapidly speed and scale solutions that will enhance the sensing, interpreting and navigating capabilities of autonomous platforms to provide an operational advantage in all environments.
Solutions should deliver advantages across capabilities such as providing near real-time communications between undersea vehicles, providing near real-time communications from UVs to command and control (C2) systems/battle management systems (BMS), providing near real-time communications between seabed systems to UVs, C2 systems and BMS, providing a system that can optimally allocate the right asset to the right task in a dynamic and complex environment as well as providing optimal bandwidth utilisation and effective range, and perform in a contested/congested environment.
