C2 Robotics is in the process of completing production of improved Generation 2 versions of the Speartooth Large Uncrewed Underwater Vessel (LUUV), and conducting trials to prepare the system for real-world performance.
A new funding tranche was awarded to the company by the Department of Defence in January 2024 to progress the system towards operational readiness, after the previous tranche of funding, approved in 2023, allowed C2 Robotics to produce Gen 2 vessels.
"We are now seeing the benefits of ‘’the small, the smart and the many’’ being achieved. Small investments can rapidly provide huge improvements in performance. That means you don’t need decades to deliver real capability," said Dr Marcus Hellyer, C2 Robotics’ Director of Strategy.
"The 2023 Defence Strategic Review specifically identified uncrewed persistent, long-range undersea warfare capabilities as critical to the Australian Defence Force. The Gen 2 Speartooth LUUV shows that autonomous underwater systems that can deliver meaningful effects across Australia’s area of primary military interest are here today."
Since the first Speartooth prototype entered the water almost two years ago, the company states that Speartooth has achieved nearly 50% performance improvements in efficiency, with extended range and endurance. C2 Robotics anticipates further improvements from the latest funding.
The funding will also allow the company to work with industry partners who produce military payloads, to expand the possible mission sets of the Speartooth system. A focus will be on low cost, scalable payloads that can be manufactured quickly and at high volume to compliment the Speartooth design philosophy.
"Based on last year’s successes and our continued program of enhancing Speartooth’s performance, we are confident we can provide customers with a minimum viable capability that can deliver real world effects in 2024," said Dr Tom Loveard, C2 Robotics’ Chief Technology Officer.
"We have a very busy program ahead of us this year. We’ll put our new Gen 2 Extended Range vessels in the water next month. Our highest priority is to work with our partners in Defence to push the envelope of performance in the open ocean."
C2 Robotics is now working with Australian industry partners to establish commercial-scale production of Speartooth, with announcements expected in the near future regarding manufacturing partnerships and pilot production outcomes.