Flinders University wins grant for aerial and amphibious drones to protect Future Submarines

Underwater, amphibious, aerial and land drones would all work together to help Australia’s Future Submarines under a Flinders University plan.

Underwater, amphibious, aerial and land drones would all work together to help Australia’s Future Submarines, under a Flinders University plan.

They could be used to protect the enormous boats from floating mines or approaching enemies and to feed information back to the mothership.

Lockheed Martin, which won the contract to integrate the combat systems onto the new fleet of 12 Attack class submarines, has granted the university seed funding.

It is one of a range of grants to companies to develop advanced technologies for the program.

Flinders and nine other organisations will get $75,000 each to develop “novel operational concepts associated with the use of uninhabited and autonomous systems by a submarine”, that will then be considered for further investment.

Flinders University defence partnerships director Tony Kyriacou with Lockheed Martin Australia Submarine Program director Mike Oliver at the Future Submarine Program Combat System laboratory in Mawson Lakes. Picture: David Mariuz/AAP Image

Flinders University defence partnerships director Tony Kyriacou said Flinders had become a specialist in autonomous sea drones and by having researchers involved, future graduates were inspired, and students were lured to the university from the US.

A recent report from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney highlighted the need for the Future Submarines to host fleets of drones.

By the time they hit the water, the submarines would struggle to get close to targets in the South China Sea as the area becomes congested with Chinese craft. The Chinese will also have fleets of drones to contend with. Drones will become a necessarily and nimble accessory to the more cumbersome submarines.

Engineer Jay Rai at the Future Submarine Program Combat System Laboratory in Mawson Lakes. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Karl Sammut, director of Flinders’ Centre for Maritime Engineering, said the drones would be smart and capable of working independently.

“The mothership could be the submarine, a ship, or even a small unmanned surface vehicle,” he said.

It would deploy the vehicles that would help keep it away from hazardous areas.

“It could be used for surveillance … or to protect the submarines. It could be looking at mines,” Prof Sammut said.

“It could be looking at a beach to see if there are tracks. The number of scenarios is growing.”

Mike Oliver, Lockheed Martin’s Future Submarine Program director, said they were taking this research and development path because they were working on futuristic capabilities, so projects needed to mature with input from them.