To meet the growing complexity of modern mine countermeasure missions, Forcys and Eelume have joined forces to deliver a new class of agile autonomous capability. Pairing Eelume’s manoeuvrable autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) platform with Forcys’ integrated sonar and optical systems from Wavefront Systems and Voyis, will enables navies to locate, assess and confirm underwater threats with greater certainty across complex seabed terrain.

Together, these technologies mark a major advance in autonomous and networked mine countermeasure operations, allowing smaller and smarter systems to deliver the same certainty and coverage once limited to large, manned vessels.

Clearing and securing coastal waters, harbours and confined seabed areas remains one of the most difficult tasks faced by navies today. Conventional AUVs are optimised either for endurance or manoeuvrability, rarely both. In shallow or topographically complex terrain, these limitations create data blind spots, forcing navies to rely on slower and less certain minesweeping techniques.

Thomas Nygaard, CEO at Eelume, said, “Modern mines hide in the most challenging seabed environments — among rocks, slopes and narrow channels that traditional AUVs can’t fully access. Eelume S combines detection, classification and identification in one system, eliminating the need for ROV operations and reducing time-consuming mine sweeping through its manoeuvrability, advanced sensor suite and in-mission processing capabilities. This keeps personnel and vessels out of the minefield and makes MCM safer, faster and more efficient.”

Eelume S is a bio-inspired mine hunting AUV.

The challenge lay in developing a compact, versatile platform that could deliver both wide-area detection and detailed inspection in any seabed environment, from open waters to confined littoral zones, without compromising range or endurance.

Forcys acts as the integrator of a powerful ecosystem of subsea technologies, bringing together proven innovations from across its group to deliver fully optimised solutions for the end user.

Through the integration of Wavefront Systems’ multi-aperture sonar Solstice and Voyis’ optical imaging systems, Forcys will enable Eelume S to achieve both the wide-area efficiency and close-range fidelity essential to modern MCM missions.

By acting as a single integration partner, Forcys ensures the optimal synergy between vehicle, sonar and camera systems, streamlining deployment and simplifying logistics for naval customers.

The Solution

The Eelume S platform introduces a flexible, bio-inspired propulsion system featuring dual counter-rotating propellers mounted on an articulated tail. This design grants independent control of pitch, yaw, and roll, allowing the vehicle to move fluidly around obstacles, maintain stability close to the seabed, and capture detailed sensor data in environments inaccessible to conventional AUVs.

Equipped with Forcys’ integrated sensor suite, Eelume S can perform wide-area sonar sweeps to detect and classify objects before transitioning seamlessly to close-range optical inspection for identification. The system’s compact size makes it easy to deploy from uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for extended, fully remote multi-vehicle operations.

In trials across Norway’s complex coastal terrain, the platform demonstrated consistent area coverage and the ability to deliver actionable, high-resolution data at a fraction of the bandwidth normally required for SAS missions.

Thomas Nygaard, “We outperform traditional AUVs, not just on complex bathymetry, but also on flat seabeds because we can operate closer to the seabed and capture higher-quality images. With the Solstice MAS sonar integrated we get the best of both worlds, combining agile movement with the data quality needed to act quickly on targets.”

The Result

The integration of Eelume S with Forcys’ advanced sonar and imaging systems represents a major evolution in mine countermeasure capability.

The combined system enables Detection, Classification and Identification (DCI) from a single AUV, reducing mission time and complexity while increasing operational certainty.

The solution delivers:

For countries like the UK, where complex littoral zones, busy ports and vital offshore infrastructure demand reliable protection, this capability provides an agile and interoperable tool that enhances both national and NATO defence readiness.

Justin Hains, Forcys Business Development Manager, commented; “This collaboration with Eelume demonstrates how Forcys is enabling navies forces like the Royal Navy to operate more effectively in challenging environments previousy considered unhuntable. The integration of Wavefront Systems MAS and Voyis imaging on the Eelume AUV delivers detection, classification and identification from a single platform, a capability proven in Norway’s fjords where traditional AUVs fail due to complex bathymetry. For UK missions at home and deployed, this means faster, safer and more reliable coverage across critical littoral zones.”

Solstice data showing a man made target (crab trap) as seen from Eelume S.
Voyis image showing the same crab trap as seen from Eelume S.

By bridging innovation and integration, Forcys and Eelume are transforming how the world’s navies see, understand, and secure the underwater domain.

Chelsea Technologies, Forcys, and Wavefront Systems have formally merged under the Forcys brand. This integration strengthens the new company’s ability to meet the evolving demands of the defense sector and other critical markets, while reinforcing its position as a technical leader in the provision of underwater solutions. The move reflects a continued commitment to innovation and collaboration.

The newly combined organization will bring together decades of expert engineering excellence, creating a stronger, more integrated offering for customers in defense and security, while continuing to serve blue technology sectors.

Paul Badger, CEO of Forcys, stated: “Combining the three organisations provides us with the critical mass required to deliver against a more ambitious vision. With underwater threats to our critical national infrastructure and peer adversaries that increasingly rely on autonomous platforms, we need to be ready to meet the mission head-on. We are doing exactly that.”

Building on a record-breaking period of defense deliveries, the combined Forcys team is well positioned to help the industry navigate the shift from traditional systems toward a more autonomous future. The new entity will be ideally placed to deliver integrated underwater payloads to support a range of missions from ISR to underwater intruder detection and deterrence.

Ioseba Tena, CCO of Forcys, stated: “Building on the proven defense pedigree of Chelsea Technologies and Wavefront Systems, we are integrating world-class expertise to help our customers outperform the competition by delivering increased value through our integrated underwater sensing solutions. We are confident that this is the right team at the right time to lead the next chapter of industry innovation.”

While the Forcys name will represent the new organisation, Chelsea Technologies will continue as a product brand within the new structure, retaining its long-standing reputation and presence within the blue technology sector providing specialist sensing and water quality monitoring.

This is not an acquisition. It is a coming together of three companies within the same group. The three organisations seek to amplify their impact, improve efficiencies, and better serve customers across all sectors.

At Forcys, we understand that modern maritime security demands more than just sophisticated sensors or autonomous vehicles – it requires seamless integration of cutting-edge technology. This is where the combined expertise of our technology partners comes into play. The capabilities of EIVA’s ViperFish, alongside advanced solutions from Sonardyne, and Wavefront Systems are reshaping how subsea threats are monitored and managed, ensuring that the maritime defense community has the tools needed for effective real-time operations.

ViperFish is an all-in-one remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV) designed for high-resolution data collection in autonomous operations. At Forcys we see the integration of this product as a significant step forward in autonomous operations. Designed for seabed imaging and geophysical surveys, ViperFish performs these tasks with remarkable precision, particularly and can even be paired with unmanned surface vessels (USVs). This opens up new possibilities for autonomous operations in complex underwater environments, enhancing mission safety, efficiency and data accuracy.

By combining this ROTV with positioning systems, sonar technology and EIVA’s NaviSuite survey software, we deliver a powerful, integrated solution that supports critical defense missions. ViperFish’s ability to automatically maintain a set height above the seabed makes it an invaluable tool for mine countermeasures, UXO (unexploded ordnance) surveys, and rapid environmental assessments.

“Forcys leverages Covelya Group partnerships to deliver solutions that provide capabilities beyond the sum of their individual components,” says Antonio Belfiore, Senior Sales Manager at Forcys. “Additionally, the combined research and development expertise across our group of companies enables Forcys to rapidly adapt to emerging threats and evolving mission requirements. This know-how was instrumental in the development of ViperFish. Designed to be the tool of choice for mine-hunting across the littoral and in riverine environments, Viperfish is also easy to use and provides your team actionable data in real-time.”

In the context of mine warfare, these integrated solutions are revolutionizing the way threat detection is carried out. By relying on autonomous vehicles that can navigate complex underwater environments with precision, defense teams can carry out missions more efficiently and frequently than ever before. The combination of ViperFish’s flexibility and the advanced sensor technologies it brings together enables vast subsea areas to be covered with unprecedented detail.

These advancements not only improve operational efficiency but also provide the necessary foundation for many future maritime and defense security operations.

At Forcys we’re proud to be part of this journey, ensuring that autonomous technology plays a central role in securing your assets.

Read more about our technology partner EIVA. 

Discover ViperFish ROTV deployed by ProZero 8m Naval Intelligence USV:

Forcys, a global leader in underwater defense technology, and Cubedin, an innovator in modular infrastructure for maritime operations, are proud to announce a strategic partnership to provide rapidly deployable modular MCM solutions. To this end the companies have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at EURONAVAL 2024 in Paris.

Forcys integrates and brings to the defense market world-changing solutions from leading technology partners Chelsea Technologies, EIVA, Sonardyne, Voyis, and Wavefront Systems. Forcys will harness these capabilities to deliver highly customizable, interoperable, and containerized solutions for complex naval missions.

At the core of this integration is Forcys’ MCM-in-a-box, designed and developed by EIVA. The 20-foot Cube module solution features EIVA’s Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle (ROTV). This versatile system supports a variety of payloads, enabling it to meet Mine Countermeasures (MCM) requirements as well as Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA), and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations.

Designed with maximum flexibility in mind, the MCM-in-a-box can operate as a standalone system from any vessel of opportunity or military ship, and it is ideally suited to the Cubedin concept. “We are excited to partner with Cubedin and see our MCM-in-a-box solution incorporated into Cubedin’s modular concept,” said Antonio J. Belfiore, Senior Sales Manager EMEIA at Forcys. “This integration will make it easier to incorporate our solution into more complex C2 setups, creating seamless integration opportunities for modular military ships and making our systems readily accessible to our customers.”

Multi-Aperture Sonar (MAS) systems have been designed to deliver high-frequency, high-resolution, and long-range imaging data to improve the probability of detection of unexploded ordnance (UXO), mine-like objects, and improvised explosive devices (IED) while minimizing the probability of false alarms.

MAS outperforms traditional side-scan in virtually all underwater environments and is also known to deliver data approximating synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) at a fraction of the power required. Where MAS truly comes into its own is when operating in shallow to very shallow waters (SW, VSW) across the littoral. In these waters, the acoustic environment is particularly hostile. The output from traditional side-scan and synthetic apertures sonars (SAS) is affected by higher order multi-path reverberation, unstable velocity of sound profiles, often unknown, as well as significant bathymetry, baseline decorrelation effects and platforms that are unstable. The result is far less reliable end sonar products with greater impact to longer range systems. This is particularly acute in tidal and riverine environments.

However, the ease of MAS operations is not to be underestimated when planning a deep-water campaign. Effective operations save time and money.

Deep water AUV operations. Image courtesy of NOAA and Deepwater Surveys of World War II U.S. Cultural Assets in the Saipan Channel.

Because MAS is simple to operate it can be easily integrated into your application. The following are just a few examples in the public domain that illustrate where Solstice MAS from our technology partner Wavefront Systems has been integrated:

Some key differentiation is follows:

Did you know that a version of Solstice exists that doubles the along-track resolution. The S4000  is longer and consumes more power, 37 W including on-board real time processing, but delivers improved performance to support identification of smaller targets across the whole 200 m swath.

If you would like to find out more please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Forcys is excited to announce they have been selected by Ocean Aero as a payload provider for their world-leading autonomous underwater and surface vehicle (AUSV), the Triton.

The Triton is the world’s only environmentally powered AUSV. Completely solar and wind powered, it can travel at speeds of up to 5 knots and can submerge for up to 5 days at 2 knots.

A true multi-domain workhorse, the Triton can be used as a force multiplier for defense operations, offering easy logistics, launch, and recovery while evading detection using autonomous avoidance and deep diving capabilities.

Forcys will be supplying Ocean Aero with SPRINT-Nav Mini, the world’s smallest hybrid acoustic-inertial navigation technology from its technology partner Sonardyne and Solstice, the leading multi-aperture sonar (MAS) for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems, from its technology partner Wavefront Systems.

Forcys’ General Manager and Head of Global Sales, Dan Zatezalo welcomes their selection: “We are thrilled that Ocean Aero has chosen us as their payload provider for defense applications. Their revolutionary technology is a great complement to our offer, and we think their customers are going to love the results. We look forward to working with them in driving the autonomous ocean defense technology sector forward.”

Bob Marthouse, COO from Ocean Aero said; “A key differentiation in our selection process is the performance to power ratio. We need to maximize the value from our payloads while managing the power consumption to sustain our mission goals. This is where the technology from Forcys makes a significant difference. On our last mission, everyone was highly impressed with the Solstice MAS.”  With Forcys’ marine defense market expertise, alongside its access to many technology partners, and Ocean Aero’s many applications for the Triton, the partnership looks set to be a revolutionary and fruitful one.

Explosive ordnance, such as mines, pose a significant threat to naval operations, offshore energy projects, and other maritime activities. Traditional methods of disposing of these hazards often put personnel and equipment at risk as they require divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to approach the ordnance closely and manually initiate the detonation process.

The Initiation Transponder 6 (IT 6) from our technology partner Sonardyne, when integrated with mine neutralization devices mounted on a VideoRay Mission Specialist Defender underwater robot, provides a remote, autonomous, safe and effective solution for mine clearance operations. This technical collaboration allows for acoustic initiation and detonation from a remote location, eliminating the need for and risks associated with physical proximity to the ordnance.

The integration of the Defender and mine neutralization devices with the IT 6 represents a significant advancement in the field of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).

How it works:

Benefits:

Demonstration

In 2022, the IT 6 and the Defender were demonstrated together for the first time to the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the UAE Navy at a quarry in Wales.

The demonstration included successful detonations of a mine neutralization device, delivered by the Defender and initiated by the IT 6, from a range of approximately 1 kilometer.

As armed forces around the world move towards more autonomous operations on land, in the air and under the sea, there will be increased demand for the utilization of existing and the development of new technology.

The benefits in terms of safety, efficiency, adaptability and cost are obvious, not just in mine countermeasures; and the collaboration between market leaders, such as Forcys, Sonardyne and VideoRay, will be at the forefront of driving advances in the technology. Contact us to see how we can help you be there too.

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Did you know that another of our technology partners, Voyis, manufacture the market’s technically leading ROV piloting camera? The Discovery camera from Voyis enhances your identification by delivering crisp 4K images of your targets in real-time. The ideal complement to the IT 6 and Defender. Find out more in a blog coming soon…