Teledyne Marine has conducted an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) demonstration for NATO members in Icelandic waters, using a range of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) equipped with passive acoustic systems.
The trials took place from January 17 to 22 and were carried out from the company’s Gavia facility in Kópavogur, Iceland. Attendees from several NATO nations observed the demonstration, which featured multiple autonomous platforms equipped for passive acoustic detection.
The demonstration included:
- A Slocum Sentinel glider equipped with a 60-meter passive acoustic towed array
- A Slocum G3 glider with integrated Teledyne Benthos acoustic communications
- Two Advanced Profiling Explorer (APEX) floats fitted with passive acoustic monitoring for ambient noise
With support from the Icelandic Coast Guard, the gliders were deployed into the North Atlantic from the Coast Guard vessel ICGV Þór, operating in the strategic Greenland–Iceland gap.
The Sentinel glider towed a passive acoustic thin-line hydrophone array designed to detect noise from surface and subsurface vehicles. Operating silently and capable of traversing depths of up to 1,000 meters, the autonomous gliders are intended to create a persistent detection barrier against subsea threats.
George Bobb, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teledyne, stated, “We are pleased to be demonstrating this technology which helps address a critical issue for global security. We are excited to show what is possible with proven, mature, commercial technology currently in use by NATO militaries.”
In addition to acoustic payloads, Teledyne Marine demonstrated the ability of its gliders to exfiltrate data acoustically from a seabed node deployed for the trials. Simulated mission data was recovered in real time and then transmitted via satellite to shore-based Mission Operations Control Centers in both Iceland and the United Kingdom.
Dan Shropshire, Vice President of Business Development for Teledyne Marine Vehicles and project lead, commented, “This result showcases our ability to meet a large percentage of existing requirements for conducting ASW with autonomous systems in the North Atlantic. The combination of our platforms with advanced sensor technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, allows us to bring a force multiplier to militaries world-wide, but at a fraction of the operational expense.”
The demonstration also highlighted the establishment of a Remote Operations Center in collaboration with the National Oceanographic Centre (NOC) in the UK, where Teledyne operates a European glider service and repair center. During the trials, the gliders were piloted jointly from Iceland and the NOC, with data from the subsea node displayed simultaneously at both locations.
Brian Maguire, Teledyne Marine Chief Operating Officer, added, “Teledyne already has a large footprint in the UK with 18 principal facilities and approximately 2,600 employees. We are investing even more significantly to bring autonomous technology to the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Navy.”
