Maritime Robotics and Skarv Technologies successfully demonstrated coordinated uncrewed surface and subsea operations during REPMUS 2026 in Portugal, showcasing how autonomous maritime systems can strengthen mine countermeasure capabilities, improve situational awareness and reduce risk to personnel.
As allied navies increasingly adopt autonomous systems, the ability to connect surface and underwater vehicles into a single operational capability is becoming increasingly important. During REPMUS 2026, Maritime Robotics and Skarv Technologies demonstrated exactly that by pairing the Mariner X uncrewed surface vessel (USV) with the CORAX 600 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in realistic operational scenarios.
The exercise, held in Tróia and Sesimbra, Portugal, brought together naval forces, defence stakeholders, industry partners and technology providers from across NATO and allied nations to test and evaluate maritime uncrewed systems in operational conditions. The Norwegian companies used the opportunity to demonstrate a fully uncrewed surface-subsea solution supporting both mine countermeasures (MCM) and rapid environmental assessment (REA).
While autonomous systems have transformed operations on land and in the air, underwater operations remain constrained by one fundamental challenge: communication. GPS, LTE and other radio signals do not penetrate water, making navigation and command-and-control difficult for autonomous underwater vehicles.
At REPMUS, the Mariner X USV addressed this challenge by operating as a mobile command node, communication bridge and positioning reference for the CORAX 600. By following the AUV's survey pattern from the surface, Mariner X continuously provided acoustic positioning updates while relaying status reports, mission data and re-tasking information between the underwater vehicle and operators ashore.
The CORAX 600 is designed for close-range subsea operations, combining sidescan sonar, acoustic sensors and high-resolution optical imaging. The vehicle can identify and classify underwater contacts and collect detailed data for mine countermeasure missions, environmental assessment and inspection of critical subsea infrastructure.
The integrated system demonstrated at REPMUS allows mine countermeasure operations to be conducted without exposing divers or crewed vessels to hazardous areas. Instead, the CORAX 600 surveys the seabed, investigates potential contacts and transmits information back through the Mariner X to operators located at a safe distance.
The same capability can also be used for rapid environmental assessment, mapping seabed conditions and bathymetry ahead of naval operations or offshore infrastructure projects. By combining surface connectivity with advanced subsea sensing, the solution provides faster access to operationally relevant information while reducing the logistical footprint traditionally associated with such missions.
According to the companies, the demonstration highlighted three key operational advantages: enhanced safety by keeping personnel away from potential hazards, improved navigation accuracy through continuous surface-to-subsea positioning support, and greater deployability through a compact system that can be transported by trailer or container and launched from small slipways by a limited crew.
The REPMUS deployment follows an earlier joint demonstration by Maritime Robotics and Skarv Technologies during the IXES exercise at Mongstad in Norway. Together, the two deployments illustrate the versatility of the combined capability, from protecting critical national infrastructure at home to supporting expeditionary mine countermeasure operations in an allied military context.
The collaboration also demonstrates the growing strength of Norway's maritime autonomy ecosystem. By integrating autonomous surface and underwater platforms into a single operational solution, Norwegian industry is helping shape the future of maritime security and defence operations.
For Ocean Autonomy Cluster and NORDSEC – Nordic Defence and Security Cluster, the successful demonstration highlights how dual-use technologies developed by cluster members can address both civilian and defence needs. As autonomous and uncrewed systems become an increasingly important part of allied maritime capabilities, collaborations such as the one between Maritime Robotics and Skarv Technologies show how Norwegian innovation can contribute to safer, smarter and more scalable maritime operations.
Skarv Technologies AS designs and builds autonomous underwater vehicles in Trondheim, Norway. Its CORAX 600 AUV system comes in several models and sensor integrations, all based on a hovering, six-thruster design rated to 600 metres and made for close-range subsea work. Skarv also handles the data analysis for detection, classification and photogrammetry, as part of an end-to-end system that runs from vehicle to finished results. Skarv’s customers work in defence and commercial maritime applications, and use CORAX for mine countermeasures, rapid environmental assessment and inspection of critical subsea infrastructure.
For more information, visit www.skarvtech.com
Since 2005, Maritime Robotics has been at the forefront of maritime autonomy, pioneering the development of advanced sea drones and autonomous maritime systems. At the core of its offering is a market-leading autonomous navigation platform enabling robust and reliable sea drone operations across mission-critical applications, serving dual-use customers globally.
For more information, visit www.maritimerobotics.com