In addition to announcing an underwater drone development project called XLAUV (Extra–Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) apparently also supports the development of another large type of underwater drone, namely the Speartooth LUUV (Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle).
The difference is that if XLAUV is made by Anduril Industries, then Speartooth is made by C2 Robotics.
Both Anduril Industries and C2 Robotics are both local companies with experience in developing UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle) unmanned vehicles. From the Indo Pacific Expo 2022 which will be held in Sydney (10 – 12 May), for the first time Speartooth has been shown to the public.
Representatives of the RAN Warfare Innovation Navy Branch described the Speartooth LUUV as a low-cost system that could be manufactured on a large scale. An agreement to undertake development of the Speartooh was signed between the Australian Navy and C2 Robotics in January 2022.
With a design like the killer whale (orcinus orca), Speartooth is said to be able to carry out a wide spectrum of missions related to the function of unmanned underwater vehicles. Quoted from Janes.com (11/5/2022), for reasons of confidentiality, the underwater drone developer is not willing to provide further details about Speartooth's specifications.
Speartooth was developed independently by C2 Robotics, a small Australian company based in Victoria in early 2021. The Australian Navy then decided to support the project and brought the LUUV system to the testing stage.
There are two variants of the Speartooth prototype made by C2 Robotics. The first is the LUUV variant with a length of 8 meters and a width of 1 meter. This variant can reach a depth of up to 2,000 meters and a cruising range of up to 2,000 km. This Speartooth is powered by a Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery.
This underwater drone is equipped with a large flexible payload bay, C2 system, direct propeller propulsion, variable buoyancy propulsion and digital periscope system. The second is the LUUV variant with a length of 4 meters and a width of 0.5 meters, and has almost the same operational specifications as the 8 meter variant.
Both Speartooth LUUV variants have a composite hull and have been designed with a large, flexible payload bay that can be mounted with a wide variety of underwater sensors and instruments.
Speartooth's digital periscope will allow the LUUV to remain submerged for extended periods, while also enabling Satcom (satellite communications) access for data transfer and potential re-tasking, as well as offering visual sensors to provide a view of the surface environment.
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