Two diesel-hybrid variants of Ocius’ renewably powered Bluebottle Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), ‘Bluebottle Hybrid’, are participating in the US Navy-led Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise, which runs throughout October.
Ocius press release
The exercise will mark the first time the Bluebottle Hybrid has participated in a Navy exercise anywhere in the world.
The vessels will carry ThayerMahan Outpost® acoustic intelligence payloads with TransparenSea® processing software, enabling the detection and tracking of undersea threats as part of an integrated suite of maritime capabilities.
Maritime Big Play is an AUKUS Pillar II exercise and experimentation series bringing together Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to accelerate the operational use of autonomous and uncrewed systems in the maritime domain.
The exercise uses realistic operational scenarios spanning anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike and seabed operations, allowing defence, science and industry teams to test emerging technologies in operationally relevant conditions.
The Bluebottle Hybrid variant supplements the platform’s renewable energy sources with a diesel generator, providing additional power when required. This enables persistent operations in low-light environments, including high-latitude winters, while also supporting payloads with higher power demands.
Ocius’ renewably powered Bluebottles are currently in operation with the Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy and in the US via Ocius partner ThayerMahan.
Under the Royal Australian Navy’s SEA1200 program, Ocius selected the ThayerMahan Outpost® acoustic intelligence payload with TransparenSea® processing software to integrate with the Bluebottle USV to support undersea intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
In the United States, Ocius Bluebottles are integrated with ThayerMahan sonar systems and operate as Outpost® systems.
Previous participation by the renewably powered Bluebottle in US Navy exercises has focused on submarine detection, demonstrating the platform’s endurance and resilience in demanding operating environments including through two hurricanes.
Quotes attributable to Robert Dane, Chief Executive Officer of Ocius Technology:
“Bluebottle Hybrid’s participation in Maritime Big Play Pacific 2026 is another demonstration of the increasingly important role autonomous and uncrewed systems are playing in the maritime capabilities of AUKUS nations.
“We are proud to showcase the Bluebottle Hybrid for the first time and demonstrate the flexibility of the platform in environments where additional power is required, including northern hemisphere operations and missions involving higher-power payloads.
“Maritime Big Play Pacific also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate Bluebottle operating as part of an integrated suite of tri-nation capabilities in realistic operational conditions.”
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