The Dutch Ministry of Defence has struck a deal with Lobster Robotics to develop a military version of its Scout2 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN).
The Delft-based firm, part of the first phase of the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) programme, struck the deal during last week’s NATO Summit in The Hague.
The initial DIANA challenge was launched back in November 2023 and sought firms with innovative solutions for enhancing energy resilience, undersea sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing.
From 1,300 applicants 44 made a shortlist; Lobster Robotics was then one of ten firms picked to receive additional follow-up funding and support with market entry and scaling, laying the groundwork for dual-use deployment.
As per the firm’s website, the latest version of its AUV, Scout2, is an autonomous uncrewed system “specifically designed to perform in murky water, over uneven terrain, and in strong currents.”
Just under two metres long, it creates high-resolution, georeferenced maps of the seabed with a strobed, downward-facing camera system that can operate in conditions where visibility is down to one metre. It has a typical range of about 40 miles (65km).
The newly signed customer agreement with the RNLN will see them collaborate as partners to evolve the civilian version of the firm’s UUV into a military-grade system as part of NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan (RAAP).
The firm’s announcement noted: “We’re excited about this partnership, not just because it opens the door to the defence market, but because it allows us to build solutions together, working closely with end users, the maintenance and support organization, and learning from their feedback to mature the capability together.”
Stephan Rutten, CEO of Lobster Robotics commented: “This is rapid adoption in action. We’re setting the example on how the dual-use technology ecosystem within NATO can be nurtured into the next-gen capabilities that give the alliance the competitive edge.”
Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman added: “Dual-use technologies, such as Scout, make us faster, smarter and more effective. Within NATO, they enable us to collectively strengthen our technological edge and operational effectiveness.”
- You can read more details on the Lobster Robotics website, the Dutch MoD website and the NATO DIANA website
