Special Report: Bluebottle USV evolves to meet growing RAN and allied surveillance needs

Bluebottle surveillance USVs undertake operations during a Royal Australian Navy-led experimentation activity at Jervis Bay in 2023. (Commonwealth of Australia)

Sydney-based Ocius Technology has been advancing and customising its Bluebottle unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to meet evolving defence requirements.

Bluebottle is in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), and has also been demonstrated to allied militaries including the UK and the US as part of efforts under the AUKUS defence alliance.

In comments to Janes in December 2025 and March 2026, Ocius CEO Robert Dane said that feedback and operational insights gained from Bluebottle deployments had informed a series of design changes and technology upgrades intended to meet the expanding requirements of military forces.

Such technical advances are also supporting Ocius' efforts to expand in the global market, and will support future deliveries to defence forces, Dane added.

Earlier in March, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) awarded a contract worth AUD176 million (USD125 million) to Ocius to procure 40 Bluebottles for the RAN. With deliveries expected to be completed by the end of 2031, the RAN will operate a fleet of 55 Bluebottles.

According to Janes Unmanned Maritime Vehicles, Bluebottle is a small, self-deploying and self-retrieving USV capable of maintaining station or transitioning between locations. It can be employed for surface and sub-surface monitoring and surveillance, and can act as a communication gateway linking subsea vessels, surface vessels, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and satellites. Bluebottle's centre of gravity sits below its centre of buoyancy, enabling the platform to self-right.

Evolving technologies