The United States and United Kingdom are seeking new technologies to counter unmanned underwater vehicles, launching a joint innovation effort aimed at improving detection and response capabilities.
The initiative, led by the Defense Innovation Unit, is part of a Commercial Solutions Opening known as the Robotic Exclusion and Engagement Framework. The program invites companies to submit proposals by April 3, 2026.
UK firms are also eligible to participate, with submissions to be assessed for potential British defense use by jHub.
Focus on scalable maritime defense
The REEF program is aimed at addressing the increasing use of autonomous underwater systems by adversaries to threaten ports, harbors, naval forces and critical infrastructure.
Officials say existing countermeasures are often costly and limited, prompting the need for more scalable and integrated solutions. The program is seeking systems that can both detect and defeat underwater threats while maintaining human oversight.
Technology areas of interest include detection and tracking systems, defeat capabilities, data and network architecture and command-and-control platforms that provide a clear operational picture.
On the defensive side, the program is prioritizing non-kinetic approaches such as barriers, nets and acoustic systems, though kinetic options and decoy technologies will also be considered.
Strengthening US-UK defense collaboration
The effort reflects closer cooperation between the two countries on defense innovation. The UK’s UK Defence Innovation is supporting the program following a recent agreement with the Defense Innovation Unit to collaborate on emerging security challenges and standardize counter-drone data systems.
British officials say the REEF program is an early example of that partnership in action, with the goal of identifying technologies that could be adopted by both nations.
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Post Image – The Bluefin lightweight UUV (Post Image Credit: General Dynamics Mission Systems)
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