Uncrewed boat builder Saronic has announced it is one of four firms given funding by DARPA to develop towed drones to defend cargo ships.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Pulling Guard programme envisions an armed, remotely-operated, tow-behind uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to provide protection from incoming pirate vessels.
The concept would have obvious applications in areas such as the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, where in recent years commercial vessels have been routinely targeted, requiring military escorts in the area.
As per a recent press statement: “Saronic will participate in the programme under Focus Area 2 (FA2), where it will focus on designing an autonomy-enabled, modular vessel to address maritime security challenges.”
Its focus will be on creating a modular design with standardised interfaces able to support a range of effectors and sensors.
It added: “In alignment with DARPA’s iterative development model, Saronic will focus on contributing to a collaborative design cycle that matures capabilities from concept through delivery, enabling rapid integration, testing, and refinement.”
The other firms understood to have been asked by DARPA to develop Pulling Guard designs are Charles River Analytics, Leidos, and RTX. As per industry reports, all have been awarded an initial Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) contract.
- You can read more details on the Saronic announcement here and more about the programme on the DARPA website