Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has just inked a $5 million deal with the U.S. Coast Guard, a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The contract? To deploy and operate a fleet of maritime surveillance buoys off the coast of San Diego, California. This isn’t just any old buoy drop—it’s a high-stakes demonstration aimed at beefing up maritime domain awareness, and it’s got everyone from the Coast Guard to defense tech company Anduril playing a part.
At the heart of the operation are OPT’s MERROWS-equipped PowerBuoy systems. Four of these bad boys will hit the water near San Diego, each packed with sensors designed to keep a watchful eye on the maritime environment. But here’s where it gets interesting: these buoys won’t be working in isolation. They’ll be integrated into DHS’s command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, and intelligence (C5ISR) environment, teaming up with Anduril’s surveillance towers to create an integrated sensing architecture.
The data collected by the buoy-based sensors and Anduril’s tower-based sensors will feed into Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control system. This fusion of data will provide unified situational awareness, enhanced detection capability, and real-time decision support for mission operators. In other words, it’s a high-tech game of connect-the-dots, with the goal of giving the Coast Guard a clearer, faster, and more actionable picture of the maritime environment.
“This demonstration underscores the growing demand for long-endurance, continuously powered systems that can operate persistently in challenging maritime environments,” said Jason Weed, senior vice president of commercial sales at Ocean Power Technologies. And he’s not wrong. The ability to deploy systems that can operate autonomously, without the logistical burden of fuel or frequent maintenance, is a game-changer for maritime surveillance.
Philipp Stratmann, president and CEO of Ocean Power Technologies, echoed this sentiment, citing the integration of OPT’s PowerBuoy platform with Anduril’s command-and-control system as a significant step in the company’s role supporting U.S. federal agencies.
Peter Babb, vice president of counter intrusion at Anduril, added, “With our XRST towers deployed alongside OPT’s buoy systems, Anduril is fusing all sensor data into Lattice to deliver continuous, high-fidelity maritime domain awareness for operators. This integration gives the Coast Guard a clearer, faster, and more actionable picture of the maritime environment, strengthening their ability to safeguard U.S. waters.”
The project is focused on enhancing resident and persistent maritime monitoring capabilities to support homeland security operations. This isn’t just about keeping an eye on the horizon—it’s about safeguarding U.S. waters in an increasingly complex and challenging maritime environment. And with this partnership, OPT and Anduril are showing that the future of maritime surveillance lies in integration, autonomy, and real-time decision support.