MELBOURNE — Australia announced today that it has placed an order for dozens more Bluebottle Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) for its navy, significantly expanding its fleet of such vessels.
The $176 million AUD (US$126 million) contract will see 40 more USVs delivered to the Royal Australian Navy by manufacturer Ocius, bringing to 55 the number of Bluebottles operated by the service.
Australia’s defense department said in a news release that the USVs, named after a native species of jellyfish, will significantly boost the country’s long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability across its vast maritime domain.
“It provides persistent surface and sub-surface surveillance, can carry payloads and operates as part of a teamed, integrated maritime force,” the release added.
Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy called the Bluebottle a formidable asset during a media conference announcing the acquisition, adding that the existing fleet has demonstrated an ability to stay on station for an average of 75 days with the longest deployment being over six months on station.
“We’re also exploring the potential for them to deploy drones and have armed packages to provide kinetic solutions,” he added.
Ocius said in a separate announcement that the Bluebottle is powered by solar, wind and wave energy which enables “long-endurance operations while maintaining an acoustically quiet environment for superior underwater surveillance.”
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It added that most of the 15 USVs previously acquired by the RAN have mostly been used to conduct surveillance missions in the waters to Australia’s north. The company says that Bluebottles have also been used to support the Australian Border Force in seaborne patrols.
Speaking at the same media conference as Conroy, Australian navy chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond added that the Bluebottle was an extremely durable asset, noting that “these things have remained on station as the cyclones have rolled through, and they’ve remained operational.”
He also revealed that the RAN will continue testing the USV to explore its future potential, including working with other manned and unmanned platforms.