Page 9: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2025)

n late May of this year, the Of? ce of Naval Research continues to suffer from delays and ballooning costs related to (ONR) issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) challenges with autonomy, navigation, and endurance, and con- seeking the rapid design, build, and testing of an ultra- cluded that it too may fail to become a program of record. Prior large autonomous underwater vehicle (UL-AUV) capa- to the GAO report, in April of this year, DIU had already issued a ble of conducting long-range, high-endurance missions solicitation for a COTS extra-large AUV—the Combat Autono-

I while carrying large modular payloads. The initial demon- mous Maritime Platform (CAMP)—suggesting a need to off- strator vehicle, “Ocean Explorer” (OEX), will establish the set or augment the troubled Orca program. Meanwhile, crewed technical feasibility of such an unprecedented platform, and submarine construction is years behind schedule, with limited will also inform development of the associated infrastructure shipyard capacity, aging infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled required to support a full squadron of UL-AUVs. ONR is also labor continuing to cause backlogs across all naval platforms.

seeking unspeci? ced, innovative UL-AUV-related technolo- Yet, despite these challenges and setbacks, there may be wis- gies, as well as rapid design and fabrication capabilities. dom in pursuing a multi-mission UL-AUV. While the BAA

Interestingly, the call for a jumbo AUV comes as the Navy’s provides no speci? cs on vehicle construction, objectives, or extra-large (Orca) and large (Snakehead) AUV programs are potential missions, it is possible to infer these by looking at suffering from signi? cant cost overruns, technical issues, and existing AUV systems, analogous platforms like guided mis- programmatic uncertainty, and as the U.S. submarine workforce sile nuclear submarines (SSGNs), and mission sets that could is struggling to meet demand for Virginia and Columbia-class be enhanced by the greater endurance, range, and internal vol- hulls. Snakehead’s fate has largely been sealed; the prototype ume provided by a UL-AUV.

vehicle is now designated as a test platform and is unlikely to One possible objective of the UL-AUV program would be transition to a program of record, while the Defense Innovation the development of an “underwater mothership” capable of

Unit (DIU) has awarded prototype contracts for commercial launching and recovering a wide range of uncrewed underwa- off the shelf (COTS) large AUVs to Kongsberg, Oceaneering, ter systems. With range/endurance remaining a limiting fac- and Anduril Industries A recent GAO report indicated that Orca tor in AUV operations for the foreseeable future, a UL-AUV www.marinetechnologynews.com 9

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