Ocius Bluebottle used on live operations for the first time

The Bluebottle Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), designed and manufactured by Sydney-based Ocius Technologies, has been used on live operations by the ADF for the first time. A Bluebottle USV was used by the Army’s 7^th Regional Force Surveillance Group (RFSG) rotation to provide a 24/7 on-water surveillance capability, with the flexibility to be readily manoeuvred to respond to emerging surveillance requirements or tasks. An Ocius employee was also embedded in the RFSG headquarters.

During the two-week deployment in October, the RFSG contingent conducted surveillance and reconnaissance on and around remote islands off north Western Australia for foreign fishing vessels and evidence of illegal activities.

Major Alexander Brent, the Maritime Border Command (MBC) Liaison Officer to Rotation 7, said the use of the Bluebottles, and the embedding of an Ocius employee within the task unit headquarters, added significant capability to the operation.

“In addition to persistent surveillance, we were able to use the Bluebottles to conduct more specific reconnaissance tasks, such as beach landing site reconnaissance and avenues of approach to specific islands in advance of the ground force,” Major Brent said.

“By controlling the Bluebottles remotely, the ground force was free to be able to move independently of the USVs and focus on other tasks, such as onshore reconnaissance and patrolling, while still benefiting from what the Bluebottles collected.”

The trial will likely inform future teaming with unmanned maritime assets to support amphibious and littoral combat manoeuvres.

As one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units which form the 2nd Division’s RFSG, NORFORCE Patrol Master, Captain Stephen Sewell, said the efforts increased situational awareness of illegal activities in the region: “Working alongside the Bluebottle uncrewed surveillance vessels, as well as Australian Border Force (ABF) Dash-8 aircraft, the information our contingent gathered will enable potential responses from other government agencies.”