The Insider

Oceaneering International announced today the completion of a successful one-week autonomous underwater vehicle demonstration for the Navy and the Defense Innovation Unit, completing the first phase of a prototype agreement.

The demonstration included showcasing Oceaneering’s design, engineering and operating capabilities pertaining to the Freedom Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, which was selected by the Navy and DIU for evaluation with potential future use in the Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicles fleet the U.S. military is working on.

In February, the Navy and DIU announced they had awarded prototype agreements to Oceaneering, Kongsberg Discovery and Anduril Industries to assist with unmanned underwater vehicle platform prototyping and development.

Kongsberg and Anduril have not reported any official demonstrations yet.

DIU Navy lead Capt. Alex Campbell told Inside Defense in February that the prototyping agreements all contain milestones that began “with a series of in-water demonstration events of existing capabilities against government requirements.”

“The demonstration included several days of at-sea testing where Oceaneering successfully demonstrated many of the autonomous capabilities of the Freedom AUV, including undocking, docking, obstacle avoidance, precision payload placement, survey and transit,” Oceaneering’s press release said today.

This demonstration is the first phase of the contract Oceaneering signed with the Navy and DIU.

“Phase two, if executed, will contain prototype development tasks,” Oceaneering said.

Oceaneering said that the demonstration was an “important milestone” for maritime defense.

“Ultimately, advanced UUVs will supplement submarine fleets by conducting autonomous sensing and delivering payloads in challenging, dispersed, deep-sea environments,” Oceaneering said. “These events serve as critical baseline assessments to understand capability gaps and inform future development priorities.”

Oceaneering’s Subsea Robotics segment held the test at its subsea autonomy testing facility in Norway, where Peter Buchanan, senior director for the Subsea Robotics segment, said there were unpredictable weather conditions that helped display Freedom AUV’s ability in “tackling complex challenges.”

“It has been an extraordinary experience spending this week with the U.S. Navy and DIU showcasing the exceptional capabilities of our Freedom AUV unit,” Buchanan said. “Our collaborative sessions have been instrumental in highlighting the unit's proven capabilities, efficient data recovery, amazing vehicle control and autonomy, precise mission planning and effective troubleshooting strategies.”

Shield AI, a U.S. defense technology company, announced its definitive agreement to acquire Sentient Vision Systems, an Australian artificial intelligence company, citing its focus on Pillar II of the AUKUS security agreement.

Together, the companies will blend their operational knowledge of AI and develop “superior intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for today’s rapidly changing defense and security environment,” Shield AI said today.

The merger, which is subject to federal regulatory approval, comes amid Defense Department efforts to further AUKUS Pillar II, which focuses on tri-lateral involvement between the U.S., the U.K. and Australia to develop and field advanced defense technologies.

Mark Palmer, Sentient Vision Systems’ CEO, said the new partnership underscores the goals outlined in AUKUS Pillar II.

“What stood out to us about Shield AI is that they are the only company in the world with an operational AI pilot, and therefore have the technological expertise and maturity to really deliver on the AI technology workstream underlined in AUKUS Pillar 2,” Palmer said. “The innovation breakthrough combining our computer vision AI-enabled ViDAR and Shield AI’s Hivemind will increase situational awareness, enabling quicker more effective decision making and help to save lives.”

In October, Shield AI and Sentient announced a multiyear agreement to combine Sentient’s ViDAR, which is an AI system that uses Electro-Optic or Infrared sensors to identify and label targets invisible to a conventional radar, with Shield AI’s Hivemind, which is an AI pilot that does not require remote GPS operators, naming the collaboration the “Sentient Observer.”

“This acquisition unites Sentient’s ViDAR and our Hivemind AI pilot, creating the world’s most advanced AI-piloted ISR sensor package,” said Ryan Tseng, CEO and co-founder of Shield AI. “Considering the imperative of covering vast maritime areas, especially in the Pacific, joining forces with Sentient was a strategic choice given their expertise in optical radar solutions. The integration of WAMI on V-BAT will revolutionize our offering, enabling Group 3-sized aircraft to perform tasks that previously required larger, costlier aircraft, significantly enhancing our customers’ operational capabilities.”

Shield AI plans to fly the “Sentient Observer” this year, as well as roll out the first deliveries.

“The DOD has asked for an all-seeing eye over tens of thousands of square miles, 24/7, without the need for GPS or communication links,” said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s president and cofounder. “For Shield AI, Sentient Observer is the final piece of that puzzle. The DOD can begin augmenting and replacing their legacy solutions for a distributed, low cost, low risk solution that doesn’t break the bank if an aircraft is shot down.”

(Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that three companies have been added to the original five selected to develop autonomous systems for the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle.)

The Defense Innovation Unit announced yesterday it has selected Anduril Industries, Overland AI and Palantir Technologies and added them to five companies previously selected to develop autonomous systems for the service's Robotic Combat Vehicle.

“Together, these companies will support the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program in developing a robust, capable and compliant software system that can operate in a variety of autonomous modes and rapidly integrate a variety of payloads as they become available,” the April 3 release reads.

The DIU selected Forterra, Kodiak Robotics, Neya Systems and Overland AI to develop the autonomous navigation software for the vehicle while Applied Intuition and Scale AI will develop the machine learning capabilities.

Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies will be responsible for software system integration.

“We are excited to work with these best-in-class autonomy providers, software experts and systems integrators as we drive towards merging software capabilities developed through the RCV Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) into the RCV Full System Prototype (FSP),” RCV Product Manager Steve Herrick said in the release.

“Our software system integrators will also be the first to implement Traceability, Observability, Replaceability and automated Consumption (TORC) compliance for Army software-centric ground vehicles, thereby helping the Army ensure programmatic flexibility and performance over time.”

Part of the Army’s human-machine integration efforts, the Robotic Combat Vehicle is designed to conduct reconnaissance missions and protect the flanks of crewed armored units. The vehicle is intended to be attritable will have a flatbed to accommodate both lethal and non-lethal payloads.

The Army initially envisioned light, medium and heavy variants but, in August 2023, prioritized development on the light variant through a middle-tier acquisition pathway and rapid prototyping approach, according to the Congressional Research Service.

In September 2023, the Army down selected General Dynamics, Oshkosh, Textron and HDT to develop prototypes of the vehicle for delivery in August 2024.

While General Dynamics, Oshkosh and Textron are developing tracked vehicles, HDT opted for wheels in their design.

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Navy's F/A-18 fighter aircraft plus coverage of the electronic warfare suite for the F-15 Eagle completing initial operational test and evaluation and more.

In FY-24, the Navy forecasted a five-year plan to invest $11.7 billion to launch an air dominance program and define a follow-on to the F/A-18E/F. The FY-25 budget request zeroes out funding for the same project line entirely:

Navy rips $11.7B from F/A-XX, putting project in budget limbo after 12 years of study

The Navy has put on ice plans for a next-generation fighter aircraft, stripping nearly $12 billion from its five-year plan for the F/A-XX project, indicating funds previously programmed for future years were redirected to finance higher priorities and the new-start project will now have to compete anew in the fiscal year 2026 budget cycle for resources.

The Navy will keep pursuing additional technical data owned by Boeing suppliers to continue long-term sustainment of the F/A-18 aircraft:

Navy gains more access to F/A-18 technical data

The Navy now has additional access to Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler technical data, allowing the service to support full sustainment of the aircraft.

The Air Force's F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System is meant to bring improved radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness, self-protection and jamming to the legacy aircraft as the service prepares its fighter fleet for a potential fight in the Indo-Pacific:

F-15 EPAWSS competes IOT&E, fielding to kickoff this year

The Air Force has completed initial operational test and evaluation for the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, which will provide upgraded electronic warfare capabilities to the fighter jet on schedule, according to a news release from EPAWSS manufacturer BAE Systems.

The Navy secretary has released a one-page summary of the service's 45-day shipbuilding review:

Navy shipbuilding review details delays across submarine and ship acquisition portfolio

Delivery of the lead Columbia-class submarine is now expected to occur at least a year later than initially planned, while Virginia-class submarines are more than two years behind their contracted schedule, according to a Navy shipbuilding review that identifies significant schedule challenges across the service's ship and submarine portfolio.

Document: SECNAV's 45-day shipbuilding review

Army budget justification documents state the service plans to spend $255 million to procure the IVAS systems and another $100 million to procure 2,364 Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular systems in FY-25:

Army's IVAS procurement for FY-25 will be for 1.2 variant

The Army's fiscal year 2025 budget request includes funding for more than 5,600 night vision devices, including 3,162 of the newest variant of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS).

The Defense Department issued its 2024 Commercial Space Integration Strategy this week:

DOD releases Commercial Space Integration Strategy

The Defense Department today released its Commercial Space Integration Strategy that gives a roadmap of how the U.S. military can leverage commercial space in each of its space mission areas.

Document: DOD's commercial space integration strategy

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown are scheduled to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 9 to discuss the fiscal year 2025 defense budget request alongside Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord.

Pentagon modernization spending is slated to decrease under the new request though the military services and combatant commands have sent Congress “unfunded priorities lists” seeking tens of billions of dollars in new spending.

The Defense Department -- capped by a two-year congressional spending deal -- is seeking about $850 billion for FY-25, with $167.5 billion for procurement and $143.2 billion for research, development, test and evaluation for a total modernization investment of $310.7 billion that does not keep pace with inflation.

Congress, after months of partisan haggling, passed an FY-24 appropriations package in March that would fund DOD at $824.3 billion, an increase of $26.8 billion above what Congress enacted in FY-23.

The total modernization investment for FY-24 enacted by Congress is $320 billion with procurement funded at $172 billion (an increase of $3 billion over the FY-24 budget request and $9.8 billion more than the FY-23 enacted level) and RDT&E funded at $148.3 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion above the FY-24 request and $8.6 billion more than the FY-23 enacted level.

Some GOP lawmakers, like Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS), have said the FY-25 request is too small but have not openly advocated breaking the caps set by the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Austin and Brown are also expected to push committee members to continue their support of a $95 billion security supplemental spending package that the Senate has already passed with bipartisan approval but remains stalled in the House.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), after months of opposing the package -- which would provide foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and modernize the U.S. submarine industrial base -- recently told Fox News he will soon bring a version of the measure up for a vote, eyeing use of federal law that would pay for some of the Ukraine aid by selling off Russian assets that have been frozen by the U.S. government.

Brown, speaking to reporters last week, said lawmakers need to appreciate that the supplemental actually invests billions in the U.S. defense industrial base.

“Eighty percent of that money comes back into our defense industrial base, our American workforce, American jobs,” he said. “We’ve got to talk more about how this actually supports our defense industrial base.”

Amid supply chain issues, the Navy is seeking industry solutions to mitigate risk for battery development and modernize the manufacturing of critical battery materials.

Focusing on four areas -- critical battery materials, components, critical processes assessment and mitigation and battery development and prototyping -- Naval Sea Systems Command wants to ease supply chain risks by improving manufacturing technologies, according to an announcement posted Monday for an upcoming request for solutions.

The Defense Department regularly needs specialty batteries, according to the notice, including batteries made with optimized chemicals, materials and components that are not easily substituted.

“When one of these specialty materials or processes becomes unusable or unavailable, major effort is required to find or develop economical substitutes that can be acquired in the volumes needed,” the notice states.

NAVSEA is seeking domestically sourced battery chemicals, components and subassemblies that can substitute those currently facing supply chain risks. The command also aims to develop supply chain risk assessments and mitigation approaches for critical manufacturing processes and identify a prototype manufacturing process capable of achieving a higher volume of production.

Finally, NAVSEA plans to identify a solution for the development and demonstration of prototype batteries that incorporate solutions from the other three focus areas.

“These battery prototypes will provide confidence that the new materials and processes will be capable of acceptably performing as intended,” the notice states. “Follow-on production is a possible outcome.”

The request for solutions is anticipated to be released May 7.

John Plumb, the first assistant defense secretary for space policy, plans to leave the Defense Department next month, a department spokesperson confirmed today.

Plumb has told his staff he intends to leave his position in early May, the spokesperson said, without including what his next plans are.

Plumb’s departure was first reported by Breaking Defense.

The Pentagon created the assistant defense secretary for space policy position in late 2020 following a requirement in the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Space policy had previously been the work of a deputy assistant defense secretary.

Plumb was the first to hold the title after his Senate confirmation in March 2022.