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Bluebottle USV to test naval roles in Australian waters

3rd November 2020 - 20:00 GMT | by Tim Fish in Auckland

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A small fleet of Bluebottle USVs is being readied for new tests in waters off Darwin

The Bluebottle USV is to complete a series of tests that will enable it to carry out a wider series of tasks for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Ocius Technology, which builds the Bluebottle, is manufacturing five USVs that will deploy from Darwin in 2021 to demonstrate the ability to operate as part of a networked squad that will undertake three different roles in diverse areas of operation. These include guarding assets such as ports or oil rigs, patrolling an EEZ and undertaking ASW.

This work is being completed with A$5.5 million ($3.9 million) of R&D funds from the Defence

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Tim Fish

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Tim Fish is a special correspondent for Shephard Media. Formerly the editor of Land Warfare …

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