CMRE Engineering Department
CMRE has an experienced, world-renowned Ocean Engineering capability in the Engineering Department (ED) that enables the rapid development of concepts into prototypes for scientific trials and operational experimentation. With over two decades of maritime autonomous vehicle experience, including Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), Gliders (underwater and surface) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV), the Centre has developed and successfully tested at sea a large number of maritime prototypes in the fields of anti-submarine warfare (ASW), naval mine countermeasures (MCM), critical maritime infrastructure and harbour protection, and environmental monitoring. More recently, the CMRE has acquired unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for sea-surface search roles and environmental observation e.g. Arctic-ice assessment.
Most of the CMRE engineering expertise is in the underwater domain, although Centre staff also have experience in above-water research and engineering. CMRE ED staff has considerable experience in working with customers external to the NATO enterprise, including NATO Nation government organizations, academia and industry, and has delivered complete systems, prototype designs, and sea-testing capabilities for a variety of underwater sonar arrays and unmanned systems. CMRE ED staff has also developed and maintained unique test and calibration facilities that have enabled the acquisition of curated, calibrated data during experimentation at sea.
Design and Development
All design and development work includes mechanical, electronic, data acquisition and signal and data processing software as a comprehensive system-of-systems solution. The Centre is capable of design and development services in the areas of:
- Underwater sonar systems, including towed array systems.
- AUVs and USVs.
- Sensor payloads—acoustic, seismic, magnetic, optical and environmental monitoring.
- Acoustic systems for underwater navigation and positioning.
- Underwater communications networks.
- Vehicle and towed sensor launch and recovery systems.
- Underwater wireless battery recharging systems.
- Buoyancy engines for hybrid unmanned underwater gliders.
- Fixed, towed or mobile acoustic systems for marine mammal detection/classification and localisation.
- Mobile autonomous target simulators for at-sea sonar performance evaluation.
- Quantum technologies and equipment.
Test and Calibration
The Centre is able to test and calibrate equipment in the areas of acoustics, oceanography, optics/laser, and pressure. The Centre also owns a 70 metre-long facility located on a pier for calibrated acoustic and optical measurements.
Mooring design/deployment and molding
Centre staff is experienced in mooring design and deployment as well as molding services.
Acoustic array manufacture, maintenance and repair
The Centre has experience in acoustic array manufacture, maintenance and repair including facilities for acoustic towed array hosing/de-hosing.
Radiated noise measurement
Through the CMRE vertical array and underwater tracking system, the Centre is able to carry out radiated noise measurements of both submarines and surface ships.
Underwater Communication Network
CMRE offers year-round access to its Littoral Ocean Observatory Network (LOON), an underwater acoustic modem farm connected to the internet for the remote development and testing of real-time underwater acoustic network protocols.
Environment monitoring and sea bed survey
Through the deployment, operation and analysis of data from unmanned mobile and fixed maritime sensing systems, the Centre is able to carry out environmental monitoring—e.g. acoustic noise, marine mammals and pollution—and sea bottom bathymetry and characterisation surveys, including the identification of objects and chemicals.
CMRE’s unmanned vehicle inventory
As of the end of 2025, the CMRE operates the following fleet of unmanned vehicles:
- 2 x Bluefin 21” AUVs: customized to host a suite of acoustic and non-acoustic payloads and sensors.
- 2 x OEX-C 21” AUVs: upgraded and customized to operate as general purpose platforms to support on-board and towed sensing systems.
- 2 x Iqua Robotics Sparus II small-size AUVs: hovering capable.
- 2 x Seaber Marvel small size AUVs: currently under modification to host custom acoustic sensing capabilities.
- 6 x Teledyne Slocum Underwater Gliders: deep-water operations, equipped with standard and custom sensor payloads.
- 2 x Liquid-Robotics SV3 WaveGlider USVs: equipped with sensing and communication payloads.
- 2 x Sea Robotics USVs: catamaran hull, coastal operation.
- UAV fleet: 5 x light quadcopters, 1 x medium quadcopter, 1 x fixed wing drone, equipped with standard optical camera and custom payloads.
Several of these unmanned vehicles have been significantly upgraded to implement autonomous operation capabilities, leveraging concepts in behavioural robotics