MBDA, Naval Group, TVT Innovation to Develop Maritime Drone Swarms

MBDA, Naval Group and TVT Innovation/System factory signed the SWARMZ agreement to develop drone swarms.

The event was also an opportunity to unveil the new Challenge SwarmZ 2022, launched under the sponsorship of the maritime prefect of the Mediterranean and its operational center, CROSSMED.

The SWARMZ project is dedicated to promoting research on swarm robotics, in order to stimulate research and innovation on this highly strategic subject and to pool and federate interests and initiatives in a logic of open innovation. Collaborative robotics is synonymous with opportunities both for the future defense systems on which MBDA is working, and for the civilian world. Initiated by MBDA, Naval Group and TVT Innovation, with the support of AID, the project aims to welcome other European players interested in these technologies, in particular manufacturers, SMEs and research laboratories.

The objectives of the project are:

1. The creation and stimulation of an ecosystem in France and in Europe

2. The detection and maturation of scientific and technological innovations that can advance this theme

3. Detection of needs, use cases and potential applications

4. The launch of Calls for projects dedicated to promoting the development of skills and knowledge on the subject

5. The search for funding

6. The promotion of collaboration between partners from various industrial fields (defense, agriculture, energy, naval, civil security, etc.)

This approach also complements MBDA's initiatives and work on collaborative weapons and swarm strategies.

The objective of the SWARMZ challenge launched today is to identify talent, attract potential partners, continue the work already launched and subsequently initiate new innovation competitions. The participants have the task of searching for and locating, by a fleet of collaborative drones, a person lost at sea. It thus allows students, academics and companies from all over France and Europe to propose optimized algorithmic solutions. to cover a search area and find the man overboard as quickly as possible, with a deployment strategy based on a swarm of collaborative drones.