Miles Jamison
Metron and Cellula Robotics showcased the integration of Metron’s Autonomous Navigation Command and Control, or ANCC, software with Cellula’s Guardian uncrewed underwater vehicle during a multi-mission open-water demonstration off the coast of Vancouver, Canada.
Advancing Undersea Defense Capabilities
Metron said Tuesday that future demonstrations with the ANCC – Guardian UUV will be powered by Cellula’s advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology to extend operational ranges of up to 5,000 km and endurance of 45 to 60 days. For the recent demonstrations, the Guardian integrated with ANCC executed various complex tasks, including submerged survey patterns, vertical in-place depth adjustments, precise station-keeping maneuvers, port or dockside launch and port-side hydrogen fuel-cell refueling. It also downloaded and replayed logs using the Periscope user interface while still on the water.
Metron-Cellula Partnership
The strategic partnership between Metron and Cellula aims to develop scalable unmanned systems for advanced undersea warfare. The two companies initially collaborated in March 2024 to create a long-duration UUV platform, utilizing Metron’s Resilient Mission Autonomy technology and Cellula’s Solus-LR and Imotus-XR UUVs. The system, which was demonstrated in September that year, is intended for defense, offshore energy, marine scientific exploration and subsea telecommunications operations.
Remarks From Metron CEO Van Gurley
“By integrating autonomy, long-duration endurance and payload delivery, the Metron-Cellula team delivers a fully mission-capable system that meets the Department of Defense’s benchmarks for trusted, tested and demonstrated performance,” stated Van Gurley, president and CEO of Metron.
