Australian company C2 Robotics has commissioned and christened its first Speartooth Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle delivered to the United States.
The christening ceremony, held in Australia and officiated by US Naval Attaché Captain Josh Fagan, was conducted with what C2 Robotics described as a modern twist, with the vessel christened by a robotic arm operated with a human on the loop, reflecting the operational philosophy underpinning the Speartooth programme itself, according to the firm.
Representing the Director General of Maritime Integrated Capabilities, which oversees the Royal Australian Navy’s autonomous systems programme, was Captain Tony Miskelly RAN.
Troy Duggan, CEO of C2 Robotics, said the moment reflected “the maturity of the Speartooth program and the strength of our partnership with the United States” and that the LUUV programme was “incredibly fast paced with payload options and mission roles continuously expanding.” He described the partnership as demonstrating “a shared commitment to advancing allied autonomous undersea capability” and said the vessel was built on the principle of “Small, Smart, Many”, adding that the commissioning brought that concept “one step closer to operational reality.”
The Speartooth LUUV, the company say, is designed to deliver scalable, cost-effective undersea capability across intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike missions, with its smaller size and lower unit cost enabling it to operate in contested environments and generate force mass in ways traditional platforms cannot. C2 Robotics also confirmed that a further announcement on overseas sales with European partner Eurobotics GmbH would follow shortly.
Ahhh, great name there.
Glyphis glyphis a River Shark.