Expert at Thales UK discusses ASW and Project CABOT

David O’Sullivan, Maritime Autonomy Capture Lead, Thales UK tells ISJ about Project CABOT – the Royal Navy’s planned ASW barrier in the North Atlantic – and the technical, operational and cultural shifts required to deliver it.

What is the Royal Navy aiming to achieve with Project CABOT?

Project CABOT is the Royal Navy’s planned Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) barrier in the North Atlantic. Yet, it isn’t simply about detecting and tracking submarines.

It’s about total situational awareness, from space to seabed, across a vast, opaque operating environment.

What makes this so exciting – and so demanding – is that it’s not just a technology challenge.

It’s about how we integrate and evolve systems, organisations and mindsets at the speed the threat demands.

That’s a monumental challenge, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity which will test the Navy and push the ingenuity of industry to new heights.

When is the Royal Navy hoping to deliver it?

Earlier this year, the Royal Navy outlined its plans for delivering this vision.

It would be comprised of a network of uncrewed vehicles, equipped with advanced sensor systems, capable of both active and passive sonar, to hunt out hostile actors trying to enter allied waters.

It’s a bold and transformative step – in terms of its strategic value and the pace at which the Navy wants it to be developed.

Yet the Navy can’t afford to ‘move fast and break things’.

Its ASW capability needs to be continuous if it’s to be effective.

That’s why CABOT has to be delivered in a fundamentally evolutionary way – scaling existing systems and processes and seamlessly integrating uncrewed with lean-crewed assets.

What are the key areas where industry can support the delivery of CABOT?

As I see it, there are six key development areas, which are interconnected and need to be addressed in parallel if we’re going to deliver something that truly works in the real world:

Long-range underwater communication and secure data transfer

Advancing long-range underwater communication and secure data transfer is key to enabling seamless information flow and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the ASW barrier.

Realising this will require robust, reliable and secure supporting infrastructure

Environmental variability and impact

Acoustic conditions in the ocean vary widely due to varying temperatures, salinity, currents and the unique topography of the operating area.

Industry needs to help manage this wide range of environmental factors to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of the ASW barrier.

And, while we bear in mind the impact of the environment on the barrier’s operation, we also need to minimise the barrier’s impact on the environment.

Extended operational endurance of UVs

Most existing uncrewed vehicles can only stay on task for a few days.

CABOT will require far longer deployments. Solutions that prioritise reliability, robustness and longevity over the very-latest technology may often be better.

Retooling and reusing existing assets

Wherever possible, the Navy will want to reuse existing assets. However, this isn’t a simple matter of installing an autonomous captain to previously crewed vessels.

If any part of an autonomous system has been originally designed with a human in the loop, the vessel’s autonomy – and therefore its effectiveness – is fundamentally compromised.

Data transfer and storage

Naval systems already generate colossal amounts of data.

Industry partners will need to be on hand to address this challenge.

Data fusion, processing and exploitation

Perhaps the most difficult challenge of all; as Project CABOT is delivered, the data won’t just increase, it will also diversify.

New sensors will produce more types of data, at different speeds, at different times and in different formats.

To turn this data into actionable insights, it’s going to need to be synthesised swiftly and effectively, using tools and techniques that have yet to be battle tested

This challenge is inseparable from the question of where to process all this data in a way that balances security with operational effectiveness.

On shore? At the edge? There’s no “right” answer – it’s a question of judgement as much as technical expertise.

Beyond the technology, what other challenges does CABOT present?

Naval Command understands, just as we do, that the technical challenges are often just the tip of the iceberg.

As CABOT gets underway – and as technologies advance and the threat evolves – crews and individuals will inevitably need to learn to do things differently or do different things.

That brings with it opportunities for growth, development and enhanced operational capability.

New tactics, techniques and procedures will need to be established.

And, if service personnel are to learn to operate and trust new automated and autonomous systems, they’ll need the training to do so confidently.

Too often, we focus on relieving one set of cognitive burdens and forget that new technologies and workflows risk introducing others.

If CABOT is going to disrupt the adversary more than it disrupts the Navy, we need to keep that front of mind.

What makes this such an exciting opportunity for the industry?

Project CABOT is providing the industry with something it has long sought – the chance to solve an identified problem, without presenting already-specified solutions.

It’s an exciting prospect – but also a daunting one.

Where you’re no longer simply responsible for delivering against defined requirements, you’re accountable for delivering the operational outcomes.

To succeed, industry partners, from primes to SMEs, need to rise above the role of suppliers and be engaged as strategic allies to the Royal Navy as part of a wider ecosystem of collaborators.

Technical expertise is essential, but it has to be matched with a deep understanding of the Navy’s operational priorities – and a willingness to do the hard yards and embrace the challenges to ensure the project’s success.

As the saying goes, a ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are built for.