Thales Australia and partners explore autonomous MCM technologies

In an Australian first, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence CRC’s  ‘Mine Counter Measures in a Day’ project has delivered a prototype team of sovereign autonomous vehicles, as well as sensor development and analysis tools for Mine Countermeasures (MCM) in the Very Shallow Water (VSW) zone.

The project explored autonomous vehicle navigation in the VSW zone, an operationally complex area due to turbulent water conditions, changing turbidity and depth of water.

The three-year project was led by Thales Australia with close collaboration, inputs and investments totalling over $14 million from the Defence Science Technology group (DSTG), Flinders University and the University of Technology Sydney, and two Australian Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), ineni Realtime and Mission Systems.

The project, which began in 2020, was jointly funded through the TAS DCRC, which also provided technical oversight.

The capabilities, research and outcome of this project align with Defence’s Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs), particularly the “development and integration of autonomous systems” as well as the “integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems”.

Deployable from sea or land the autonomous system of systems maps the minefield and identifies Mine Like Objects (MLO) before deploying a neutralisation package to counter the identified targets.

“The Mine Countermeasures (MCM) in a Day project was a unique, multi-partner activity with the objective of developing a solution which puts the safety of Defence personnel at its core,” said Troy Stephen, Vice President Underwater Systems, Thales Australia.“Thales Australia’s 40+ year pedigree in sonar technologies, coupled with the innovative thinking of Academia, SMEs and DSTG, has delivered the building blocks of an Australian first Robotic and Autonomous System littoral mine clearance solution to the Royal Australian Navy.

“The MCM in a day project has been an exciting project for our engineers and has enabled us to establish a pipeline for autonomous systems talent; building the workforce of the future.”

“The partnership with Thales and other key collaborators has been instrumental in advancing our HMI technology for AUV operations,” said  Stafford van Putten, Director, ineni Realtime. “Our innovative interface addresses key challenges in the Very Shallow Water (VSW) zone by delivering predictive visualisations and live updates presented in a continuously updating visual digital twin. This project exemplifies the strength of collaboration between industry and academia, and we are proud to contribute to the advancement of Australian sovereign capabilities in autonomous underwater systems.”

Earlier in 2024 Defence quietly cancelled its program to acquire an autonomous MCM system in Project SEA1905; the program was also expected to replace the RAN’s four remaining Huon-class minehunters. Two companies, French firm Exail and Adelaide-based Saab Australia, had been short-listed for the project after a bid from Thales Australia was rejected. The cancellation was due primarily to budgetary constraints; the cancellation of the project and the imminent retirement of the Huon-class minehunters without any sign of a replacement means Australia’s ports will shortly be unprotected from sea mines.