Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs)
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Two diesel-hybrid variants of Ocius’ renewably powered Bluebottle Uncrewed Surface Vessel have joined the US Navy-led Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise, marking the first time the hybrid platform has participated in a naval exercise anywhere in the world.
Running throughout October, Maritime Big Play is an AUKUS Pillar II exercise and experimentation series bringing together Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to accelerate the operational deployment of autonomous and uncrewed systems in the maritime domain. The initiative evaluates emerging capabilities under realistic operational conditions, using scenarios that span anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike, and seabed operations with defense, science, and industry teams.
During the Pacific drills, the Bluebottle Hybrid vessels are equipped with ThayerMahan Outpost® acoustic intelligence payloads and TransparenSea® processing software to detect and track undersea threats as part of an integrated suite of maritime capabilities. The integration builds on established defense programs; under the Royal Australian Navy’s SEA1200 program, Ocius selected the same Outpost® payload and TransparenSea® software suite to support undersea intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. In the United States, Ocius Bluebottles are integrated with ThayerMahan sonar systems to operate as Outpost® systems.
To overcome the power constraints of standard autonomous surface craft, the Bluebottle Hybrid variant supplements the platform’s renewable energy sources with an onboard diesel generator. This provides supplementary power when required, enabling persistent operations in low-light environments such as high-latitude winters, while delivering sufficient electrical output to support payloads with higher power demands.
“Bluebottle Hybrid’s participation in Maritime Big Play Pacific 2026 is another demonstration of the increasingly important role autonomous and uncrewed systems are playing in the maritime capabilities of AUKUS nations,” said Robert Dane, Chief Executive Officer of Ocius Technology. “We are proud to showcase the Bluebottle Hybrid for the first time and demonstrate the flexibility of the platform in environments where additional power is required, including northern hemisphere operations and missions involving higher-power payloads.”
Ocius’ renewably powered Bluebottles are currently in active service with the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, and in the United States through Ocius partner ThayerMahan. In previous US Navy exercises, the renewable platform focused on submarine detection missions, demonstrating operational endurance and physical resilience in demanding conditions that included navigating through two hurricanes.
“Maritime Big Play Pacific also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate Bluebottle operating as part of an integrated suite of tri-nation capabilities in realistic operational conditions,” Dane added.
