Ultra Maritime teams with General Atomics to enable unmanned airborne ASW

A computer-generated image of a General Atomics MQ-9B UAV deploying sonobuoys. General Atomics has teamed with Ultra Maritime to integrate its sonobuoy technology with the MQ-9B. (Ultra Maritime)

Ultra Maritime, a maritime defence technologies firm, has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc to integrate its small sonobuoys with the MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the company announced in a 20 May statement. The combination of small sonobuoys and receivers on a long-range UAV “can provide autonomous, low-cost ASW [anti-submarine warfare] in a GPS-denied environment”, according to the statement.

The collaboration comes as “the technologies necessary to make [unmanned ASW] practicable are really lining up”, Carlo Zaffanella, CEO of Ultra Maritime, told Janes on 23 May.

The company has focused on unmanned ASW research and development (R&D) and product development in recent years, he said, adding that its approach is to “lead with innovation and then figure out the market after that”.

There is already interest from US allies in Asia, Zaffanella noted.

Partnership

General Atomics “became the obvious partner for us to work with in looking at how do we take advantage of several technologies, the miniaturisation of the receivers – that's the radio that goes in, either a P-8 or a P-1 [maritime patrol aircraft] … to make it much smaller – [and] the ever-increasing capability of our G-size buoys and, of course, their abilities on the aircraft itself and their willingness to develop a G-size launcher”, he said.

General Atomics demonstrated the launch of A-size sonobuoys from the MQ-9B in late January, Janes reported in early March. A-size sonobuoys are about 4.9 inches in diameter and 36 inches long, according to the US Navy. Ultra Maritime's G-size sonobuoys are about 16.5 inches long and 4.9 inches in diameter.