Kongsberg and Oceaneering selected for U.S. Department of War XLUUV concept work under DIU CAMP program

By Martin Chomsky (Defence Industry Europe)

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Kongsberg and Oceaneering selected for U.S. Department of War XLUUV concept work under DIU CAMP program

Photo: Kongsberg.

Kongsberg and Oceaneering International have been selected by the U.S. Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit to support the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform program. The effort is focused on developing an Extra-Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle for future U.S. Navy missions.

The CAMP program is intended to accelerate the transition of mature commercial and defense technologies into operational naval capabilities. Kongsberg and Oceaneering said their work will focus on concept definition, system architecture and design trade studies.

The companies said the effort will emphasize modularity, interoperability and rapid integration. The design is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of this year.

“Being selected by DIU for the CAMP program underscores the confidence placed in our proven, mission-ready technology,” said Rich Patterson, Vice President of Uncrewed Platforms. “Kongsberg is proud to co-lead this effort with Oceaneering, combining deep domain expertise to support the U.S. Navy’s vision for scalable and adaptable uncrewed undersea platforms. Together, we are competing to deliver the world’s leading extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle, and I believe our partnership with Oceaneering is a key strength in achieving that goal,” Patterson says.

Oceaneering said the partnership combines experience in subsea systems with advanced undersea technologies. The companies said their complementary capabilities are intended to support scale and adaptability while reducing technical and operational risk.

“We are pleased to partner with Kongsberg on this important initiative. Our experience delivering and sustaining subsea systems globally, combined with Kongsberg’s advanced undersea technologies, has resulted in a highly capable, world-class team ready to work,” said Bill Merz, Senior Vice President of Aerospace and Defense Technologies for Oceaneering.

Kongsberg cited a 200-year engineering history in maritime and undersea systems. Oceaneering brings six decades of experience in subsea robotic services, remote and autonomous missions, and global lifecycle support.

Both companies have supported commercial offshore and government programs. Their selection places the team in a U.S. Navy-focused effort to shape future large autonomous undersea platforms for naval operations.