New Sonar Network Demonstrates Advanced Detection of Underwater Drones
During the U.S. Navy’s Exercise Lanternfish 26, ThayerMahan’s ShorePicket™ and Outpost™ acoustic monitoring systems successfully detected, classified, localized, and tracked every unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) participating in the exercise, ranging from small six-inch-diameter drones to extra-large unmanned underwater vehicles (XLUUVs).
The multinational exercise, involving U.S., U.K., and Australian personnel alongside 26 industry partners, evaluated emerging undersea technologies in realistic operational environments. ThayerMahan deployed a combination of fixed and mobile passive acoustic sensing systems, creating a distributed surveillance network capable of monitoring underwater activity over wide areas without disrupting normal port operations.
Powered by the company’s TransparenSea™ software, the system combines edge processing, AI-assisted acoustic analysis, and expert human oversight to deliver real-time underwater threat detection and tracking. Demonstrated capabilities included seamless integration into Navy common operating pictures, providing operators with a comprehensive view of underwater and surface-domain activity.
As unmanned underwater vehicles become increasingly accessible and capable, the need for persistent maritime domain awareness is growing. The Lanternfish 26 demonstration highlights how distributed acoustic sensing, autonomous platforms, and advanced software can work together to enhance the protection of ports, naval bases, offshore infrastructure, and other critical maritime assets.
Read the full article: Interesting Engineering
