Blue Ops, Kymeta Team for Enhanced USV Communications

Kymeta has entered a partnership with Blue Ops to enhance the communications capabilities of the latter’s Variant 7 maritime uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). The teamwork will enable Kymeta’s low-power communications technology to support complex, secure control of autonomous USVs at greater distances and under more hostile operating conditions.

Kymeta’s systems integrate satellite and cellular communications networks to provide a backbone for beyond line-of-site (LOS) communications with autonomous maritime vehicles (see image above) in dense signal environments. They can integrate geosynchronous-Earth-orbit (GEO), low-Earth-orbit (LEO), and medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellite networks to provide uninterrupted communications links. 

Manny Mora, CEO and president of Kymeta, explained, “Our technology is designed to deliver resilient, on-the-move connectivity across multiple networks in LEO, MEO, and GEO, and integrating it into Blue Ops’ Variant 7 enables persistent command and control for distributed USV operations. This collaboration is about ensuring operators can rely on real-time data and coordination, even in the most challenging conditions.”

Barry Hinckley, president of Blue Ops for Red Cat’s maritime division, noted, “As uncrewed surface vessels take on more complex and distributed missions, reliable connectivity becomes a critical enabler for coordinated operations, including swarming and real-time data sharing.”

Regarding the teamwork with Kymeta, Hinckley said, “Integrating Kymeta’s technology into our Variant 7 platform allows us to support these emerging capabilities and deliver USVs that can operate with greater range, coordination, and effectiveness in maritime environments.”