The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) is transforming the way breakthrough military solutions are delivered by rapidly translating innovative technologies into capabilities that will help take Defence further, faster.

On Friday 1 December 2023, Defence Ministers announced the launch of an innovation challenge series for AUKUS Pillar II. The first of these challenges was focused on Electronic Warfare (EW). The second is focused on undersea Command, Control and Communications.

This is a trilaterally agreed challenge and will utilise a harmonised competition process with individual submissions entered into one of the three AUKUS partners’ individual submission portals (Australia, United Kingdom and United States). The challenge is being run as a two-stage competition across the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) in Australia, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in the United Kingdom and the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) in the United States.

You are invited to submit a response to Stage 1 of this competition via this this Invitation to Register (ITR) - ATM ID: AUKUS02-2025-ITR for the AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025: Undersea Communications and Autonomy.

AUKUS partners are seeking to research and develop innovations to enable the synchronisation and teaming of multiple undersea systems. We invite innovations that enable some or all of the following Desired Capability Effects:

1. Provide near real time communications between Undersea Vehicles (UVs)

2. Provide near real time communications from UVs to Command and Control (C2) Systems /Battle Management System (BMS)

3. Provide near real time communications between seabed systems to UVs and C2 System and BMS

4. Provide a system that can optimally allocate the right asset to the right task in a dynamic and complex environment

5. Provide optimal bandwidth utilisation and effective range, and perform in a contested/congested environment

Other Instructions:

For full details and requirements, please refer to the AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025: Undersea Communications and Autonomy documentation suite.

There will be a supporting launch Webinar run by each of the three AUKUS partners. In Australia, this is scheduled for 3 April 2025 at 1100 (AEDT). RSVP your interest at the link https://aukuschallenge25-au.anzpac.chime.live to confirm your attendance at the briefing. Please note there will be a 5 minute delay between registering and gaining access to the site.

Timeframe for Delivery:

Within 12 months of contract commencement

Address for Lodgement:

AusTender at www.tenders.gov.au, in accordance with instructions in Request documentation