Two UKDI funded companies demonstrated their innovations at Maritime Big Play in San Diego last month

UKDI-backed companies SEA Ltd and DAS Ltd showcased advanced maritime technologies at Maritime Big Play in San Diego, California last month

The exercise demonstrated how UK innovation is delivering operational advantage and supporting future maritime capability development

Maritime Big Play highlighted the strength of AUKUS Pillar II collaboration, reinforcing UK, USA and Australian commitments to maritime security and technological superiority.

The waters off San Diego, California became a proving ground for some of the most advanced maritime technologies emerging from the AUKUS partnership last month as innovators from across the UK, United States and Australia came together for Maritime Big Play (MBP).

The event demonstrated how the three nations are accelerating the development and deployment of cutting-edge capabilities to address shared security challenges in an increasingly contested maritime environment.

Among those representing the UK were two UKDI-funded companies: SEA Ltd (Systems Engineering & Assessment Ltd) based in Frome and DAS Ltd (Decision Analysis Services Ltd) headquartered in Basingstoke. Both companies showcased technologies designed to strengthen operational effectiveness beneath the waves.

SEA demonstrated its Acoustic Deployment Environment Planning Tool, a capability that uses high-resolution environmental data and advanced acoustic modelling to predict and optimise underwater communications performance. The technology builds on expertise developed through systems that have supported the Royal Navy for more than two decades and has been further enhanced through UKDI support ahead of Maritime Big Play.

Marcus Donnelly (Environmental Data Science Technical Lead at SEA) said:

“Underwater communications are critical to modern maritime operations, particularly as navies make greater use of autonomous and uncrewed systems. Building on SEA’s decades of acoustic modelling expertise, our Acoustic Deployment Environment Planning Tool software combines high-resolution environmental data with sophisticated acoustic modelling techniques to help operators predict and optimise communications performance in complex underwater environments, supporting situational awareness, command and control, and more effective operations.”

 “Demonstrating the capability in an operational environment off San Diego will allow us to further test, refine and evolve the technology alongside other advanced maritime capabilities. The toolset has its roots in proven anti-submarine warfare modelling capabilities, including systems that have supported the Royal Navy for more than 20 years, and we see significant long-term potential as reliable underwater communications become increasingly important to future AUKUS and other maritime operations.”

View of an entity map - part of SEA’s wider Acoustic Deployment Environmental Planning Tool (ADEPT) software suite

View of an entity map - part of SEA’s wider Acoustic Deployment Environmental Planning Tool (ADEPT) software suite

Alongside SEA, DAS Ltd demonstrated the Autonomous Fleet Task Assignment Framework (AF-TAF), an innovative software solution designed to coordinate fleets of autonomous underwater vehicles.

Lead Consultant at DAS Ltd Anthony Dunn said:

“Our Autonomous Fleet Task Assignment Framework (AF-TAF) enables Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to collaborate with less reliance on C2 orchestration, improving responsiveness and reliability in communications degraded or denied environments. Using distributed decision-making, AUVs dynamically allocate tasks to one another, adapt to changing conditions, and maintain mission effectiveness. Together with an accompanying simulation, AF-TAF supports defence planners in optimising fleet structures and operational scenarios, supporting a more resilient, agile, and capable maritime force for future UK and allied operations.”

For UKDI, the exercise demonstrated what its investment is achieving: taking promising UK technologies from development to demonstration alongside allied partners and getting them closer to the front line.

Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS, attended the event, reflecting the UK’s commitment to working with the USA and Australia on defence innovation.