GULFPORT, Miss. – On Monday, July 20, a team of scientists and sailors from the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC), and commercial technology partner Oshen has achieved a major milestone: accurately mapping shallow, inshore waters, in challenging conditions, using an autonomous vessel. The test and evaluation event, which took place off the Mississippi coast, was designed to accelerate the development of emergent autonomous maritime technology and speed its integration into routine naval operations.
The retrieval of the 3’, 100lb C-Star robotic vessel marked the culmination of the latest phase of an on-going collaboration between Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) and Oshen, a pioneering developer of autonomous maritime technology. Established under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) within the Navy’s Tech Transfer program, this partnership represents the future of defense innovation: combining the Navy’s world-class oceanographic expertise with the agile, cutting-edge solutions of the commercial sector.
The ocean is an unforgiving environment, and mapping it requires technology that can survive its extremes. Designed to operate in all ocean conditions, C-Stars are the world’s only USV to have delivered data even inside category 5 hurricanes, allowing them to be deployed globally to gather critical environmental data. For the U.S. Navy, the immediate focus is the littoral zone. Shallow coastal waters are traditionally difficult, dangerous, and highly resource-intensive for standard Navy vessels to survey. Swarms of small Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), like Oshen's C-Star, offer a transformative solution.
The two-week trial took place in the waters off Cat Island, Mississippi, close to Naval Oceanography’s facilities at Stennis Space Center. C-Star PD1 navigated stronger than forecast currents to complete multiple bathymetric transects across the Cat Island Channel and ferry lane, using a single-beam echosounder suspended from its keel to accurately capture hydrographic features such as a sloped seabed and dredged channel. Tidal curves were also successfully recreated from station-keeping depth data, one of the Navy’s key objectives in this experiment, while speed and maneuver control capabilities were also tested: waypoint vs. heading control, and ability to sail slow, zig-zag patterns, with a view to search-and-rescue applications.
"Surveying littoral and shallow-water zones is critical to our operational readiness, but it presents unique environmental challenges," said Stacy Johnson, Technical Director of the Hydrographic Department at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). "The modular physical and power architectures of Oshen’s platforms allow us to seamlessly integrate Navy-selected sensors, like the single-beam sonar we are using for this test. It gives us an unprecedented ability to sense and map these restrictive coastal environments safely and effectively." The Navy-Oshen CRADA is a technology transfer agreement focused on collaborative research and development and custom integration into the C-star platform. By prioritizing hands-on experimentation, Navy scientists, technologists, and Sailors work shoulder-to-shoulder with Oshen developers to troubleshoot and adapt in real-time.
"Through this collaborative Tech Transfer effort, we aren't just evaluating a piece of hardware; we are accelerating the transition of emerging commercial tech into naval operations," noted Dr. Jason McKenna, Chief Technology Officer. "Oshen brings incredible agility and innovation to the table. By pairing their low-cost autonomous sailing platforms with our rigorous testing environments, we are moving at the speed of relevance." For Oshen, the partnership provides an unparalleled opportunity to validate their technology at the highest levels of maritime operations.
"It is a profound honor to partner with the U.S. Navy and have our technology tested by the best oceanographers and sailors in the world," said Anahita Laverack, Oshen’s CEO. "In order for C-Star constellations to make a difference to naval operations, it’s key to get C-Stars in the hands of the end users as soon as possible, tested, evaluated, pushed to their limits and solve the final steps required for operational use - data pathways, deployment Standard Operating Procedures, quality assurance. That wouldn’t be possible without close collaboration in partnership with the end users at the U.S. Navy”
CNMOC personnel see potential in a constellation of these types of platforms with increasingly complex sensors in data sparse areas. The C-star is a platform being utilized in this way today for Hurricane sensing but could provide additional wide-area ocean sensing or converge on a specific area of interest to provide concentrated data. This test event off Cat Island proved that this platform could adapt to other missions. Simultaneously, the Navy is evaluating the viability of a Data as a Service (DaaS) model, focusing on the seamless delivery of information.
"The 'constellation' approach fundamentally changes how we view ocean sensing," explained Warrant Officer Christopher McKinstry, Experimentation Lead at Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography command. "By utilizing multiple C-Star platforms to work in unison, we can dynamically disperse a network of small craft for wide-area coverage, or converge them on a single area of interest. Exploring a Data as a Service framework with Oshen allows our hydrographers to focus entirely on analyzing a secure, continuous stream of high-fidelity environmental data, keeping our focus on the mission."
The success of the U.S. Navy relies on maintaining maritime superiority, and that superiority is built on a foundation of continuous innovation. The collaboration with Oshen is a prime example of how the Navy values and leverages the brilliance of the private sector. When commercial enterprises bring their brightest ideas to the Navy, everybody wins. The Navy gains rapid access to state-of-the-art tools, and private organizations gain the pride and prestige of knowing their work is actively supporting global security and scientific discovery. The U.S. Navy is open for business. To the research companies, tech startups, and visionary organizations developing the next generation of maritime technology: the Navy is looking for partners. Together, we can build a stronger, smarter, and more capable force around the world.
Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) defines and exploits the physical environment—from the ocean depths to the stars—to ensure the U.S. Navy has the freedom of action to deter aggression, maintain freedom of the seas, and win wars. Operating globally as the operational arm of the Naval Oceanography Program, CNMOC leverages meteorology, oceanography, precise time, and astrometry to close kill chains and maximize Fleet safety, access, maneuver, and lethality. Delivering decision superiority across all levels of warfare, our mandate is clear: from seabed to the stars, it starts with us.