Helsing Acquires Blue Ocean to Advance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Capabilities

European defence firm Helsing has announced the acquisition of Blue Ocean, an ocean technology company known for designing and operating autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

The move is intended to strengthen Helsing’s Maritime Defence Programme by combining Blue Ocean’s hardware and manufacturing expertise with Helsing’s artificial intelligence systems.

Under the deal, Blue Ocean’s operations and team will be integrated into Helsing, with continued operations in the U.K. and Australia. The acquisition is structured as a members’ scheme of arrangement under Australian law, pending court, regulatory, and shareholder approval.

Helsing said the partnership will accelerate the development and mass production of autonomous maritime platforms to enhance the protection of the underwater battlespace. The company highlighted that these technologies will support European and AUKUS partners in strengthening defence capabilities across the North Atlantic and Indo-Pacific maritime regions.

The acquisition follows Helsing’s launch earlier this year of its SG-1 Fathom, an autonomous underwater glider that underwent successful testing at BUTEC, an underwater military test range, in July. It also comes after Helsing’s announcement of a £350 million investment in a new Resilience Factory in Plymouth, designed to support production of autonomous systems.