New Partnership to Develop Advanced Autonomous Naval Craft

US based defense company Eureka Naval Craft has signed a partnership agreement with Australian marine tech company Greenroom Robotics.

Eureka Naval Craft CEO Bo Jardine said the partnership with Greenroom will drive the most advanced autonomous systems ever developed for naval vessels and will also be spun into the workboat commercial marine market. The signing comes after the parties earlier this month unveiled designs for the first fully autonomous naval attack craft the AIRCAT Bengal, a 36m multi-mission Surface Effect Ship (SES).

Jardine said: “We believe together we can disrupt the naval market where too many vessels are outdated, overly expensive and laborious to build. The vessels we are developing with Greenroom tackle all these problems and can be offered as a ready solution to the US Navy, Australian Royal Navy, NATO, AUKUS and allied navies around the world.”

Greenroom Robotics CEO James Keane welcomed the partnership with Eureka Naval Craft emphasizing the need to stay ahead of evolving maritime threats. “The software integration we have ensures Eureka’s AIRCAT fleet can serve as a patrol craft, rescue craft, medical evacuation vessels, heavily armed small combatants and landing craft. The technology can support a range of applications tailored to the client from reduced and optimized crewing to fully autonomous operations.”

These systems will be based on the proven Advanced Maritime Autonomy (GAMA) Software systems Greenroom developed for the 57m decommissioned Armidale-class patrol boat, Sentinel known as the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT).

“This was one of the most sophisticated autonomy projects seen to date on a naval vessel where Greenroom collaborated with Austal Australia and the Royal Australian Navy. Drawings on this expertise the Eureka’s fleet will have state-of-the-art AI-driven advanced situational awareness, and swarm-ready fleet enablement systems allowing naval or coastguard crews to operate with unparalleled precision, safety, and effectiveness in high-threat maritime scenarios.”

The AIRCAT Bengal unveiled by Eureka and Greenroom this month will be first autonomous naval vessel to be able to carry a 40 tonne payload with a top speed of more than 50 knots, payload depending, and a range of 1,000 nautical miles. The vessel can operate crewed and uncrewed and can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles.

The autonomous AIRCAT Bengal will join Eureka’s other AIRCAT vessels including the Lynx, Jaguar, and Panther, each tailored to specific missions, from high-speed troop transport to unmanned logistics. The modular design allows clients to customize the vessels based on their operational needs.

The vessels are designed for higher speed to weight ratio; lower fuel consumption; lower emissions and, improved comfort enabling greater accuracy with weapon systems, less wear and tear on sensors, weapons and other sensitive payloads, and longer endurance for crews.