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(FDECO) concept to support persistent fuel cells could be integrated into hybrid operation. Whether fuel cells become the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and in- power architectures like that of the G- dominant energy solution for the broader telligence, surveillance, and reconnais- Ray, with fuel cells providing high-en- autonomous maritime sector remains to sance (ISR) operations. ergy, long-duration baseline power, and be seen, but they appear poised to play

For some companies, subsea hydro- batteries supplying rapid bursts of elec- an increasingly important role in estab- gen fuel cell power represents not only trical power for maneuvering, buoyancy lishing and sustaining a credible, persis- a game-changing product differentiator, control, communications, and payload tent subsea force.

but also an emerging market opportu- nity. In June of this year, Cellula Robot- ics and In? nity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen

Inc. unveiled NautiGEN, a joint ven- ture focusing exclusively on providing fuel cell power solutions for maritime autonomous systems. Windsor, Con- necticut-based In? nity is a developer of fuel cell systems for aerospace, defense, and maritime applications, while Brit- ish Columbia-based Cellula has been at the forefront of commercializing fuel cells through its family of long- endurance AUVs. Cellula and In? nity have previously partnered on fuel cell technology; in recent trials of Cellula’s

Envoy LD-AUV, the vehicle completed a submerged transit exceeding 2000 km over a mission duration of 385 hours, during which it executed over 4000 en- ergy-consuming turns and maneuvers.

The vehicle was powered by In? nity’s

Mystic 2000 AUV power system, which leverages fuel cell technology origi- nally developed for aerospace applica- tions before being adapted for maritime use. The creation of NautiGEN re? ects growing con? dence that fuel cell power has matured into a viable commercial market rather than remaining a special- ized enabling technology.

Endurance is the lynchpin of autono- mous subsea operations. It determines how long a platform can remain on sta- tion and the size of the area it can ef- fectively monitor or in? uence. Whether trailing enemy submarines, conducting long-range seabed strike missions, or blockading a strategic chokepoint, AUVs will need access to high-density onboard energy to ensure mission success. Hy- drogen fuel cells represent a shift from underwater platforms that store electri- cal energy to platforms capable of gener- ating electrical power throughout a mis- sion. While they may not come to replace

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