The UK’s National Oceanography Center (NOC) has renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Royal Navy to support innovation and advances in autonomous and robotic underwater systems.
As disclosed, the MoU includes collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the UK’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) science and technology organization. The agreement was signed during the Ocean Business conference and exhibition at NOC in Southampton in April this year.
“This agreement reflects our mutual dedication to harnessing cutting-edge autonomous technology for the benefit of marine science, industry, and national security,” said NOC Chief Executive John Siddorn.
“This MoU renewal cements our strong partnership with NOC, allowing us to explore new technological frontiers in autonomy that will help to modernise our operations and ensure that the operational decisions we make are based on the most up-to-date environmental data,” said the Royal Navy’s Captain Jim Lovell, Captain Jim Lovell – Navy Develop – Head of Underwater Battlespace Capability.
Lowell added that this partnership will also support the Royal Navy’s training and operational readiness using autonomous platforms.
Dstl’s Chief Executive Paul Hollinshead emphasized that this alliance demonstrates a mutual commitment to the collaborative development of autonomous maritime capabilities.
“Together, we’re strengthening the UK’s position at the forefront of sustainable oceanographic science and technology and ensuring our armed forces have access to the most advanced autonomous systems and environmental data for effective decision-making in complex maritime environments,” he added.
Since the first MoU was signed in 2014 and subsequently renewed in 2021, the collaboration has supported a number of initiatives helping the UK expand its ability to develop ocean solutions and conduct advanced marine scientific research.
This includes facilitating a wider scope of collaborative projects and information sharing, while also exploring net-zero operations, positioning the NOC, the Royal Navy and Dstl at the forefront of sustainable oceanographic science and technology.
The partnership aligns with national and international initiatives, including the G7 “Future of the Seas and Oceans” program.
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