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Indo-Pacific 2022: Rise of the maritime machines in Australia

13th May 2022 - 09:26 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Sydney

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The Royal Australian Navy is funding development of the low-cost Speartooth LUUV for the country’s navy. (Photo: Gordon Arthur)

Although lagging behind the utilisation of UAVs, militaries are now exploring new applications for and types of UUVs and USVs. Australia is no exception.

This year’s edition of the Indo-Pacific naval exhibition in Sydney demonstrated intense interest in and solutions for crewless ocean surveillance, whether on the surface or deep beneath the waves.

On 4 May, even before the exhibition opened, Anduril Industries had announced a $100 million co-funded programme with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) for three prototypes of an extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (XLAUV).

Shephard can now confirm that this project does not fall under the auspices of AUKUS. Indeed, the AUKUS Undersea Robotics Autonomous Systems (AURAS) programme is a trilateral effort between Australia, the UK and US on classified underwater

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