Thales Australia and Saildrone integrate Blue Sentry thin-line sonar array

Sydney based Thales Australia’s BlueSentry thin-line towed sonar array has been successfully integrated into Californian company Saildrone’s Surveyor-class Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), demonstrating exceptional operational performance, according to Thales Australia, during a 26-day continuous mission conducted off the United States.

Saildrone successfully and autonomously supported a towed array capable of undertaking long-range Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), with the ability to detect and classify both underwater vehicles and surface vessels in real time.

The Thales Australia partnership with US company Saildrone, and the new ready-to-deploy capability, mark an important step towards expanding the scope of naval interoperability and autonomous maritime capability developments between AUKUS partners to deliver on AUKUS Pillar 2 requirements, says Thales Australia.

The successful trial, funded by the US Office of Naval Research, has advanced an AUKUS-aligned partnership that could boost the national security of Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, the company adds.

“This partnership and integration set the standard for future intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at sea particularly in sensitive and remote regions where traditional maritime security assets are stretched thin and have significant operational challenges,” said Jeff Connolly, CEO of Thales Australia.

“The integration of Thales Australia’s BlueSentry onto Saildrone’s Surveyor-class, as a core component of its maritime domain awareness solution, paves the way for greater naval interoperability between AUKUS partners and delivers on AUKUS Pillar 2 Undersea Warfare needs.

“The successful test has proven the new system’s ready-to-deploy capabilities which can be used to detect drug trafficking, enemy submarines or even people smuggling vessels in difficult to monitor areas, offering a powerful capability and real time identification and tracking for both military and government customers.”

During the trial the system identified and tracked vessels of interest in real time for further investigation by maritime security partners, according to Thales Australia. The company says the system showed particularly strong results in maintaining continuous surveillance across high-traffic areas where traditional maritime security assets are stretched thin and face significant operational challenges.

“The acoustic performance of the BlueSentry array, paired with a platform as silent and capable as the Saildrone Surveyor, represents a considerable step forward in undersea observation,” said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone. “The extreme endurance of the system allows us to put eyes and ears in places that were previously out of reach, at a cost point orders of magnitude below traditional manned surveillance platforms.”

The system showed the ability to detect and track surface vessels, submarines and Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). These capabilities, which can be effective in remote waters off the Australian coast, Thales Australia points out, can also deliver on AUKUS Pillar 2 Undersea Warfare needs.

Saildrone’s Surveyor-class is a long-range, persistent autonomous maritime-domain awareness solution that harnesses wind and solar power while incorporating advanced communications technology and high-performance sensors.

Thales Australia’s BlueSentry thin-line towed array is a next-generation sonar payload designed and manufactured to enhance ASW and maritime domain awareness. It can carry out both active and passive surveillance and incorporates advanced signal processing, recording and reporting capabilities.

All the components of BlueSentry, from the array to the data processing, are developed, manufactured and integrated in Thales Australia’s facility in Rydalmere, Western Sydney.

Saildrone and Thales Australia are ready to deploy these systems at scale, creating a network of autonomous, self-sustaining surveillance assets to enhance national security, says Thales Australia. As threats evolve and the demand for persistent undersea awareness increases, the Saildrone-Thales system offers a scalable, low-cost alternative to traditional surveillance platforms, the company commented.