What is the UDT 2026 Agenda?

The UDT 2026 Agenda provides an initial overview of the technical sessions and discussions that will take place in London, focusing on the evolving requirements and innovations shaping the undersea defence environment.

Key themes include advancements in platform design, underwater communications, autonomous and uncrewed systems, human factors, sensor integration, and operational resilience in contested maritime domains.
 

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UDT Conference Programme for 2026

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09:30
  1. Opening Remarks
    Keynote Theatre
    15 mins
     
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jon Pentreath CB OBE
    Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath CB OBE, Senior Naval Advisor - UDT Global
    Speaker image for Nigel Whybrow
    Nigel Whybrow, Future Submarines & Technology Director - Babcock International Group
09:45
  1. Keynote Address
    Keynote Theatre
    15 mins
     
10:00
  1. Keynote Address
    Keynote Theatre
    15 mins
     
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jon Pentreath CB OBE
    Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath CB OBE, Senior Naval Advisor - UDT Global
10:15
  1. Keynote Panel Discussion
    Keynote Theatre
    45 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jon Pentreath CB OBE
    Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath CB OBE, Senior Naval Advisor - UDT Global
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Marcus Rose
    Commodore Marcus Rose, Deputy Director Underwater Battlespace Capability - Royal Navy
    Speaker image for Paul Carter BEng(Hons) MBA CEng MIET
    Commodore Paul Carter BEng(Hons) MBA CEng MIET, UK AUKUS Programme Director and Head of the AUKUS Programme Delivery Office, Submarine Capability - Defence Nuclear Organisation, UK Ministry of Defence
11:00
  1. Morning Break & networking
    30 mins
11:30
  1. The new invisible frontier: seabed control for global maritime security
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Integration of multidisciplinary assets and technologies is pivotal to achieving scalable and flexible undersea domain awareness. A resilient, multilayered communications network—including optical und …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Max Edwards
    Max Edwards, Team Leader/Principal Scientist Underwater Sensing Maritime Operations - Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Rafael Arcos
    Mr Rafael Arcos, Senior Manager - Indra Group
  2. Generative Adversarial Networks to synthesise audio data for building underwater acoustic data
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Generative Adversarial Networks are a highly powerful tool in machine learning and can be used to create large quantities of data. GANs have been used to create audio data in other disciplines, such a …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mathieu Colin
    Dr. Mathieu Colin, Senior Scientist - TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Andrew Bond
    Mr Andrew Bond, Chief Technical Authority - Drumgrange Ltd
  3. High Precision Detection and Localization of Ammunition Using Asynchronous Method
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    acoustic localization, weapon accuracy, weapon calibration, asynchronous localization algorithms
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Aymeric Bonnaud
    Aymeric Bonnaud, Scientific Director - Naval Group
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Mehmet Güllü
    Mehmet Güllü, Software Development Lead - Koç Bilgi ve Savunma Teknolojileri A.Ş.
    Speaker image for Mert Eroğlu
    Mr Mert Eroğlu, Software Development Lead - Koç Bilgi ve Savunma Teknolojileri A.Ş.
12:00
  1. Powering the Unseen Battlespace: Integrating Offshore Wind Energy with Undersea Defence Infrastructure
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    • Offshore wind installations can enhance naval capabilities by enabling energy-independent forward-operating bases at sea, improving endurance and autonomy of naval assets. • Subsea energy storage sy …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Max Edwards
    Max Edwards, Team Leader/Principal Scientist Underwater Sensing Maritime Operations - Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Aisha AlAsmakh
    Aisha AlAsmakh, Senior Maritime Engineer/ PhD Candidate - HBKU
  2. From Design to Digital Twin: Shaping Underwater Warfare By AI-Assisted Design
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Investigating utilization of AI & ML for underwater vehicle domain engineering challenges to improve design, modeling, and navigation in GPS-denied environment Fusing computational model and real miss …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mathieu Colin
    Dr. Mathieu Colin, Senior Scientist - TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Yusuf Demiroglu
    Mr Yusuf Demiroglu, Modeling and Simulation Engineer - Roketsan
  3. Enabling wide Mission Capability for XLUUV through the development of Next Generation Sonar
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    XLUUV will be a highly capable ASW and Seabed Warfare platform when commensurate next generation sonar is available Realising many sonar functions with a single set of arrays makes such a system cost …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Hannah Rose
    Dr. Hannah Rose, Acoustic Specialist - Thales UK
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Neil Haughey
    Mr Neil Haughey, Delegated Design Authority - Thales UK
  4. Efficient Offline Reinforcement Training of Torpedo Countermeasure Policies via Decision Transformer
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Offline Data-Driven AI Policy Learning: Introducing an offline, data-driven approach that utilizes Decision Transformers to learn tactical policies directly from existing expert datasets, bypassing th …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Aymeric Bonnaud
    Aymeric Bonnaud, Scientific Director - Naval Group
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Yoojung Yoon
    Yoojung Yoon, Research Engineer - LIGNex1
12:30
  1. Lunch break & networking
    60 mins
13:30
  1. Securing the Seabed Together-Leveraging Partnerships for Critical Undersea Infrastructure Protection
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Lessons learned from recent examples of public, private, and military teams working together to protect critical undersea infrastructure. Case studies of collaborative technology trials and exercises …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jez Green
    Commander (RN) Jez Green, Chief of Staff - AUKUS in Defence Nuclear Organisation
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Tom Charlton
    Mr Tom Charlton, Consultant - PA Consulting
  2. Enabling Future Collaborative Autonomy with Generative AI
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    • Agents demonstrate collaborative behaviors coordinating across surface and subsurface platforms • Generative AI and open data accelerate development of simulation environment • Large language models …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Topping
    Dr. Simon Topping, Chief Scientist and Senior ATLAS UK Expert, Research and Innovation Division - TKMS ATLAS UK Ltd.
    Speakers
    Speaker image for William Hedlund
    Mr William Hedlund, Systems Engineer - Saab AB
  3. Unlocking the Future of Underwater Surveillance with Ultra-Sensitive Wideband Electrometers
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    1-Understand the benefit to combine passive electrical finel sensing with acoustic to enhance underwater detection and classification 2-Realize that modern eelctronic architecture and signal processin …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Olav Holberg
    Olav Holberg, Senior Advisor & Deputy Director - Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Gary Bagot
    Mr Gary Bagot, Sales Director - ELWAVE
  4. Acoustic Stealth Materials: Quantifying Performance in Harsh Operational Environments
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Stealth Material Development, SONAR, Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW)
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeff Owen
    Jeff Owen, Director - AtebTec Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Raymond Browne MIOA
    Dr. Raymond Browne MIOA, Lead Principal Acoustic & Development Engineer - Tods Technology
14:00
  1. Beneath the Ice: Investigating Future Technologies for Improved Arctic Operations
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    How changes in the Arctic will affect submarine design What regulations are in place to govern defence activity in the Arctic Key areas of interest for developing technology to enhance operational eff …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jez Green
    Commander (RN) Jez Green, Chief of Staff - AUKUS in Defence Nuclear Organisation
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Eisha Home CEng
    Mrs Eisha Home CEng, Senior Marine Engineer - BMT
  2. Agile Autonomy AUV-Led Protection of CUI
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    A field-tested integration pattern for collaborative AUV ISR that reduces revisit time and operator burden while fitting current naval C2A verification/validation matrix commanders can use to accept a …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Topping
    Dr. Simon Topping, Chief Scientist and Senior ATLAS UK Expert, Research and Innovation Division - TKMS ATLAS UK Ltd.
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Verineia Codrean
    Verineia Codrean, Chief Strategy & Partnership Officer - EUROATLAS
  3. Quantum navigation and sensing: enabling capability on compact autonomous undersea platforms.
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    Differentiation from existing technology: Quantum magnetometers and gravimeters offer exceptional sensitivity in an unprecedented compact, rugged form factor, enabling performance unattainable with co …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Olav Holberg
    Olav Holberg, Senior Advisor & Deputy Director - Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Michael Hush
    Dr. Michael Hush, Chief Scientist - Q-CTRL
  4. Corrosion Uncovered: Simulation-Driven Integrity
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    • Demonstrates how digital twins and corrosion modelling can transform marine asset integrity management. • Presents a validated simulation workflow combining CFD and electrochemical modelling. • Offe …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeff Owen
    Jeff Owen, Director - AtebTec Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Matthew McConnell
    Mr Matthew McConnell, Simulation Engineer - Wärtsilä Defence Solutions Limited (WDSL)
14:30
  1. Engineering assurance as an enabler of undersea technological advantage
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Attendees will gain practical insight into how engineering assurance can be applied early in underwater programmes to support rapid and spiral development while reducing delivery risk. The session wil …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jez Green
    Commander (RN) Jez Green, Chief of Staff - AUKUS in Defence Nuclear Organisation
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Pete Lambeth FIMarEST, CEng, CMgr, MSc
    Mr Pete Lambeth FIMarEST, CEng, CMgr, MSc, Capability Director - Engage Technical Solutions
  2. Evaluation of an Assurance Framework for Naval Electro-Optic-based Machine Learning Applications
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    • Alignment of naval EO assurance with AMLAS to enable trusted ML-based autonomy. • Progressive assurance tightening across autonomy levels, reflecting the shift from human-in-the-loop to human-on-the …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Topping
    Dr. Simon Topping, Chief Scientist and Senior ATLAS UK Expert, Research and Innovation Division - TKMS ATLAS UK Ltd.
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Rajiv Murali
    Mr Rajiv Murali, Product Safety Engineer - Thales UK
  3. ASW going MAD: Demonstration of an Unmanned MAD Capability at REPMUS 2025
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    MAD is, and remains, an important ASW sensor, also in the fast evolving world of unmanned systems. REPMUS 2025 marked the first successful test of unmanned MAD using a VTOL UAV. Enabled by strong inte …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Olav Holberg
    Olav Holberg, Senior Advisor & Deputy Director - Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Reinier Tan MSc
    Mr Reinier Tan MSc, Senior Scientist Magnetic Sensing - TNO
  4. Copper Nickel Chrome (CNC): The Non-Ferrous Alloy of Choice for Seawater-Wetted Submarine Components
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeff Owen
    Jeff Owen, Director - AtebTec Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Chris Rowlands
    Chris Rowlands, Chief Technical Officer - Westley Group
15:00
  1. Afternoon break & networking
    30 mins
15:30
  1. Afternoon Keynote address
    Keynote Theatre
    15 mins
     
  2. 42 and the Illusion of Communication: Why We Keep Losing Capability at the Seams
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Capability is often lost in conversation. The real gaps appear where engineers, operators and human specialists think they're aligned but aren't. 42 is only the right answer if we're asking the same q …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Iain Breckenridge
    Iain Breckenridge, Key Account Manager Maritime - Leonardo UK
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Chris Greenbank CErgHF
    Mr Chris Greenbank CErgHF, Principal Human Factors Consultant - BMT
    Speaker image for Jake Rigby
    Mr Jake Rigby, Head of Innovation and Research - BMT
    Speaker image for Siobhan Banks BA, PhD
    Professor Siobhan Banks BA, PhD, Director, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre - Adelaide University
  3. A modular architecture for rapid development and deployment of sonar processing solutions
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    Introducing a sonar processing software architecture designed to respond to evolving ASW requirements
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jörg Hurka
    Jörg Hurka, Product Architect - TKMS Atlas ELEKTRONIK GmbH
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Charlie Pearson PhD.
    Dr. Charlie Pearson PhD., Simulation Development Lead - SEA Ltd
  4. Permutation-Invariant Reinforcement Learning for Waypoint Planning in Multi-Obstacle Environments
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    PI-based Architecture for Weapon Waypoint Planning: This study focuses on a key challenge in submarine-launched weapons by introducing Permutation-Invariant (PI) reinforcement learning architectures t …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Aymeric Bonnaud
    Aymeric Bonnaud, Scientific Director - Naval Group
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Sel Kwon M.S.
    Sel Kwon M.S., Research Engineer - LIGNex1
15:45
  1. Afternoon Keynote Panel
    Keynote Theatre
    45 mins
     
16:00
  1. Is it an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Human Machine Team - or just an Intelligent Machine?
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    There are lessons learnt and good practice in terms of design and evaluation from the design of complex automation that apply to the design and evaluation of AI based Human Machine Teams. If going to …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Iain Breckenridge
    Iain Breckenridge, Key Account Manager Maritime - Leonardo UK
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Harriet Morley C.ErgHF, MSc
    Mrs Harriet Morley C.ErgHF, MSc, Human Factors Technologist - BAE Systems Submarines
  2. Enhancing Area Coverage and Resolution in SAS via Phase-Calibrated Multi-Receiver Architectures
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    Fundamentals of Synthetic Aperture Sonar, Displaced Phase Center Approximation, Multi-receiver architectures, Area Coverage Rate
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jörg Hurka
    Jörg Hurka, Product Architect - TKMS Atlas ELEKTRONIK GmbH
    Speakers
    Speaker image for İrfan Manisalı
    Mr İrfan Manisalı, Senior Acoustic System Engineer - Meteksan Defence
    Speaker image for Yasar Kemal Alp
    Dr. Yasar Kemal Alp, Technical Lead - Meteksan Defence
  3. Curriculum-Based Advanced Reinforcement Learning Frameworks for Submarine Countermeasures
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Hierarchical Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Architecture: A high-level agent formulates strategy by selecting optimal low-level agents, which are specialized to execute evasive manoeuvres for diff …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Aymeric Bonnaud
    Aymeric Bonnaud, Scientific Director - Naval Group
    Speakers
    Speaker image for BoSeon Kang Ph.D
    Dr. BoSeon Kang Ph.D, Senior Researcher - LIG Nex1
    Speaker image for Hyunho Kwon
    Mr Hyunho Kwon, Researcher - LIG Nex1
09:50
  1. Opening Remarks
    Keynote Theatre
    10 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jon Pentreath CB OBE
    Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath CB OBE, Senior Naval Advisor - UDT Global
10:00
  1. Keynote Address
    Keynote Theatre
    15 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jon Pentreath CB OBE
    Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath CB OBE, Senior Naval Advisor - UDT Global
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Angus Essenhigh OBE
    Rear Admiral Angus Essenhigh OBE, UK National Hydrographer and Director for Defence and Data Acquisition, UK Hydrographic Office - UK Hydrographic Office
10:15
  1. Keynote Panel Discussion
    Keynote Theatre
    45 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jon Pentreath CB OBE
    Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath CB OBE, Senior Naval Advisor - UDT Global
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Hazel Newman
    Hazel Newman, MOD Senior Relationship Manager - Met Office
    Speaker image for Jeremy Churcher
    Jeremy Churcher, Head of Defence - Hydrographic Office
11:00
  1. Morning break & networking
    30 mins
11:30
  1. Uncover what lies beneath: Aerial drone magnetics for real-time Naval Mine detection & ASW
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    (1) Aerial drone magnetics offer unique insight into threats beneath the sea surface. (2) Aerial drone magnetics are less dependent of weather- and sea conditions as compared to AUVs and other airborn …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Alain Maguer
    Alain Maguer, Head, Engineering and Information Technology - Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Arne Døssing Andreasen
    Dr. Arne Døssing Andreasen, Chief Executive Officer - UMAG Solutions
  2. From Fatigue to Readiness: Rethinking Watchkeeping Schedules for Submariner Performance
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    24-h anchored watch systems outperform non-24-h rotations — they support longer, more consolidated sleep and reduce circadian misalignment. Extended off-watch periods are optimal — they provide restor …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Colby
    Simon Colby, Chief Technical Authority - BAE Systems
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Siobhan Banks BA, PhD
    Professor Siobhan Banks BA, PhD, Director, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre - Adelaide University
  3. Precision-Engineered DAS Hydrophone Arrays for Littoral and Offshore Surveillance
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    Critical Infrastructure Protection, Long distance array based on fiber only, High performance fiberoptic hydrophones
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Matthew Gleed
    Matthew Gleed, Lead Consultant Architect - Royal Navy: Underwater Battlespace
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Rune Tenghamn
    Mr Rune Tenghamn, Technical Advisor - Akitemos Solutions AB
  4. Global Underwater Radiated Noise Monitoring: Emerging Tech and Opportunities for Collaboration
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Increasing interest in measuring the underwater radiated noise from the global fleet due to noise pollution is driving the development of acoustic tech URN measurement captures an acoustic signature T …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mirko Stifani
    Captain (Retd.) Mirko Stifani, Chief Technology Officer - (Fincantieri NexTech)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Emma Carline
    Ms Emma Carline, Acoustic Algorithm Developer - Ocean Sonics Ltd
    Speaker image for Mark Wood
    Mark Wood, Chief Executive Officer / Founder - Ocean Sonics Ltd
12:00
  1. A revolution in beachcombing expertise
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Keywords: Interferometric, Side Scan Sonar, Bathymetry, micro-AUV, scientific, industrial, military, beachcombing
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Alain Maguer
    Alain Maguer, Head, Engineering and Information Technology - Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Luc Simon
    Luc Simon, Business Development AMERICAS & ASW - SEABER
  2. Little Things with Big Impact: Enhancing Crew Performance and Wellbeing through Effective Design
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    By consideration of crew needs throughout the life-cycle significant improvements can be made to ensure their wellbeing and enhance their performance. These improvements don't have to be expensive, or …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Colby
    Simon Colby, Chief Technical Authority - BAE Systems
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Alan Felstead FIET, FCIEHF
    Mr Alan Felstead FIET, FCIEHF, Head of Technology - Human Factors and Integration - BAE Systems Submarines
    Speaker image for Siobhan Banks BA, PhD
    Professor Siobhan Banks BA, PhD, Director, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre - Adelaide University
  3. Enabling New Underwater Capabilities with Kilowatt-Class Blue Lasers
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    • Introduction of novel developements in high-power blue lasers at 450 nm, which enable long-range transmission in water. • Initial experiments and theoretical insights regarding future underwater def …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Matthew Gleed
    Matthew Gleed, Lead Consultant Architect - Royal Navy: Underwater Battlespace
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Simon Britten
    Dr.-Ing Simon Britten, Senior Technology Manager - Laserline GmbH
  4. Digital engineering for submarine noise mitigation and stealth optimisation
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Noise reduction ensures stealth and comfort.3DEXPERIENCE Platform links design to simulation.Wave6 models full-spectrum acoustics/PowerFLOW captures flow-induced noise.
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mirko Stifani
    Captain (Retd.) Mirko Stifani, Chief Technology Officer - (Fincantieri NexTech)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Wouter van der Velden
    Dr. Wouter van der Velden, Senior Industry Manager - Dassault Systèmes
12:30
  1. Lunch break & networking
    30 mins
13:30
  1. The rise of Marine unmanned drone era for ASW
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Development of unmanned underwater wingmen to support the manned submarine operations in the future. Retrofitting existing platforms or integrating unmanned vehicle launch and recovery systems into ne …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Luke Cho
    Mr Luke Cho, Senior Business Development Manager -Marine - Stirling Dynamics
  2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Strategic Planning of Naval Operations – Underwater Domain Awareness
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) framework Effective Naval Deployments in the Tropical Waters Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) enabled Strategic Naval Planning High End AI enabled Data Analytics
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Domingo Gómez Pamo Guerra del Río
    Domingo Gómez Pamo Guerra del Río, Senior Advisor, Defense & Security – Naval Systems - INDRA
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Arnab Das
    Dr (Commander Retd.) Arnab Das, Founder & Director - Maritime Research Center (MRC)
  3. Robust GNSS Integration for USV Autonomy
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    -GNSS as a foundational enabler for autonomy in marine systems, including UUVs, ASVs, and swarm platforms. -The critical role in navigation of accurate and resilient GNSS positioning across a broad ra …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Topping
    Dr. Simon Topping, Chief Scientist and Senior ATLAS UK Expert, Research and Innovation Division - TKMS ATLAS UK Ltd.
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Gustavo Lopez MBA
    Mr Gustavo Lopez MBA, Senior Market Portfolio Manager - Septentrio
  4. Will 2035 see "Peak Submarine" followed by a rapid decline?
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Advances in non-acoustic sensor technologies Impact of Quantum & AI technologies on ASW Changes in environmental conditions that may force Submarines to operate differently. Fusion of traditional acou …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Gebhard Heizmann-Bartels
    Gebhard Heizmann-Bartels, Head of Product Management Submarines - TKMS
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Iain Shepherd
    Mr Iain Shepherd, Technical Director - MARCOM Defence
14:00
  1. Underwater refuelling-in-motion: A USV-towed submerged docking station for AUV recharge and rapid data offload
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Attendees will learn how towed underwater charging stations—deployed behind surface vessels—enable AUVs to refuel underwater much like fighter jets do mid‑air. The presentation highlights contactless …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Thomas Meyer
    Dr. Thomas Meyer, Chief Operating Officer - Unplugged
  2. Operationalising Persistent Undersea Surveillance - The time for trials and experimentation is over
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Latest Concept of Operations for operationalising persistent undersea surveillance Challenges (security) and opportunities (continual capability enhancement) of delivering the capability The technolog …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Domingo Gómez Pamo Guerra del Río
    Domingo Gómez Pamo Guerra del Río, Senior Advisor, Defense & Security – Naval Systems - INDRA
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Horden Wiltshire
    Mr Horden Wiltshire, Managing Director - Acacia Systems
  3. Advanced Sensor Fusion for Reliable Underwater Positioning
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    Addressing five principal challenges in underwater positioning including update rate, range errors, latency, gimbal lock, and sensor integration. Utilizing advanced sensor fusion with tightly coupled …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Topping
    Dr. Simon Topping, Chief Scientist and Senior ATLAS UK Expert, Research and Innovation Division - TKMS ATLAS UK Ltd.
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Srinath Mallikarjunan
    Mr Srinath Mallikarjunan, Chief Executive Officer - UAB Unmanned Dynamics
  4. Innovation & Investment Models for Undersea Autonomy
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Why current investment models delay operational adoption of undersea autonomyEvidence that milestone-driven funding reduces risk and accelerates deliveryHow parallelised collaboration between industry …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Gebhard Heizmann-Bartels
    Gebhard Heizmann-Bartels, Head of Product Management Submarines - TKMS
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Verineia Codrean
    Verineia Codrean, Chief Strategy & Partnership Officer - EUROATLAS
14:30
  1. Build once, configure many: Modular subsea robotics for mission agility at scale
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Advantages of using a modular blueprint for subsea robotics: common core, payload-agnostic interfaces, and software-defined autonomy. Benefits of leveraging rapid reconfiguration across operations and …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Alan Anderson
    Mr Alan Anderson, Subsea Robotics Project Manager - Oceaneering International
  2. Everything, everywhere, all at once: undersea surveillance coverage in the Indo-Pacific
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Overview of how the adoption of uncrewed systems by the Royal Australian Navy can increase its undersea surveillance coverage in the Indo-Pacific. Assessment of the value for money of hybrid naval fle …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Domingo Gómez Pamo Guerra del Río
    Domingo Gómez Pamo Guerra del Río, Senior Advisor, Defense & Security – Naval Systems - INDRA
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Timothy Milledge
    Mr Timothy Milledge, Combat System Architect - Raytheon Australia
  3. Sensor Fusion and Navigation Technologies for ROVs in Complex Undersea Environments
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    • Sensor fusion and multi-modal navigation improve positional awareness in GPS-denied environments. • Dead Reckoning, USBL, DVL, and ROV GPS integration supports stable navigation and operational func …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Topping
    Dr. Simon Topping, Chief Scientist and Senior ATLAS UK Expert, Research and Innovation Division - TKMS ATLAS UK Ltd.
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Serena Brown
    Serena Brown - Deep Trekker
  4. Undersea technology to interoperability: An investment strategy
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
     
15:00
  1. Afternoon break & networking
    30 mins
15:30
  1. Exploiting the allied undersea advantage
    Keynote Theatre
    40 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Ivan Stace CEng ChPP MSc MA MAPM MCGI FIET
    Ivan Stace CEng ChPP MSc MA MAPM MCGI FIET, Head of Innovation - Babcock Naval Nuclear
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Bryan Clark
    Bryan Clark, Senior Fellow - Hudson Institute
  2. Human factors panel
    Theatre 1
    60 mins
    a- Some operational ship performances rely on some manual manoeuvring of equipment. b- Norms and standards to guarantee manoeuvrability hardly take ship dynamic environment in account. c- Studies show …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Iain Breckenridge
    Iain Breckenridge, Key Account Manager Maritime - Leonardo UK
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Alan Felstead FIET, FCIEHF
    Mr Alan Felstead FIET, FCIEHF, Head of Technology - Human Factors and Integration - BAE Systems Submarines
    Speaker image for Harriet Morley C.ErgHF, MSc
    Mrs Harriet Morley C.ErgHF, MSc, Human Factors Technologist - BAE Systems Submarines
    Speaker image for Matthieu Abautret
    Mr. Matthieu Abautret, Research and Innovation Engineer - Naval Group
    Speaker image for Peter Schumacher
    Dr. Peter Schumacher, Design Lead - Adelaide University
    Speaker image for Siobhan Banks BA, PhD
    Professor Siobhan Banks BA, PhD, Director, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre - Adelaide University
  3. Exploring use of modular autonomous systems in anti-submarine warfare operations
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mathieu Colin
    Dr. Mathieu Colin, Senior Scientist - TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Wenche Oxholm
    Wenche Oxholm, Principal Scientist - Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)
16:00
  1. Multi-Domain Maritime Unmanned Systems Interoperability through NATO STANAG 4817 - an outcome from the NATO REPMUS 2025 Exercise
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mathieu Colin
    Dr. Mathieu Colin, Senior Scientist - TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Mae Seto Ph.D., P.Eng., SMIEEE
    Mae Seto Ph.D., P.Eng., SMIEEE, Senior Engineer | Combat and Control Systems Naval Engineering Test Establishment - Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre
09:30
  1. Industrialisation of Large Complex AM Components in Undersea Defence
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Strategic Collaboration: Saab and AMEXCI have partnered to innovate and industrialize Additive Manufacturing for undersea defence, aiming to co-opt new ideas and enable scalable production. Accelerate …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeff Owen
    Jeff Owen, Director - AtebTec Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Maxime Legrand
    Maxime Legrand, Business Development Manager - AMEXCI AB
    Speaker image for Stefan Strandlund
    Stefan Strandlund, Technical Project Manager - Saab AB
  2. Advancing Autonomous Maritime Systems Performance with Effective Digital Twins
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    An improved understanding of the use of software-in-the-loop digital twins for collaborative autonomy development, The use of simulation platforms for concepts of operations (CONOPs) development,
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Ivan Stace CEng ChPP MSc MA MAPM MCGI FIET
    Ivan Stace CEng ChPP MSc MA MAPM MCGI FIET, Head of Innovation - Babcock Naval Nuclear
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jack Webster
    Dr. Jack Webster, Chief Technology Officer - Gradient Marine
  3. Distributed Uplink Rate-Splitting for Underwater Acoustic Multi-Access Edge Computing
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    -Challenges in Underwater Data Processing: Collecting and processing information from submarine sensors is difficult due to severe constraints in the underwater communication environment, specifically …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeffrey Cipolla
    Dr. Jeffrey Cipolla, Associate Director of Maritime Advanced Technology - Raytheon
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Panagiotis Diamantoulakis
    Dr. Panagiotis Diamantoulakis, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  4. A Modular Uncrewed Ship Designed for Underwater Use Cases
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Working from a viewpoint of 'what use cases can benefit most from introduction of a completely uncrewed medium-large ship?' We focused on three core use cases of Military Data Gathering, Seabed Warfar …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Nigel Whybrow
    Nigel Whybrow, Future Submarines & Technology Director - Babcock International Group
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Chloe Yarrien
    Mrs Chloe Yarrien, Maritime Autonomous Systems Engineering Lead - BMT
    Speaker image for Jake Rigby
    Mr Jake Rigby, Head of Innovation and Research - BMT
10:00
  1. Submarine Acquisition - The Myth of MOTS vs Bespoke
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    • When it comes to submarine acquisition, ‘Truly Off-The-Shelf' and ‘Truly Bespoke' options seldom if ever exist. • It would be better for acquisition programmes to think in terms of ‘Made-To Measure' …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeff Owen
    Jeff Owen, Director - AtebTec Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Bill Wood
    Mr Bill Wood, Principal Specialist - Signatures and Stealth - BMT UK Ltd
    Speaker image for Jenny Smith
    Ms Jenny Smith, Senior Account Manager - Submarines - BMT UK Ltd
  2. Making it work: Crewed/uncrewed teaming in ASW
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Teaming crewed and uncrewed vehicles has considerable challenges in C3 to perform a full ASW 'kill chain' 2. These challenges are solvable given some thought about integration and communications 3. Qi …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Ivan Stace CEng ChPP MSc MA MAPM MCGI FIET
    Ivan Stace CEng ChPP MSc MA MAPM MCGI FIET, Head of Innovation - Babcock Naval Nuclear
    Speakers
    Speaker image for David Shutt BA (Hons) MA
    Mr David Shutt BA (Hons) MA, Business Development Manager - Qinetiq
  3. AI-Enabled Smart Sonobuoy Threat Detection Network
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    The Smart Sonobuoy Threat Detection Network offers: Persistent Monitoring through a low-cost, energy-efficient, and cooperative sonobuoy network Hybrid and Modular Sensing Architecture by utilising a …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Jeffrey Cipolla
    Dr. Jeffrey Cipolla, Associate Director of Maritime Advanced Technology - Raytheon
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Evangelos Koutsolelos
    Evangelos Koutsolelos - AKMON S.A.
    Speaker image for Odysseas Kechagias Stamatis
    Dr. Odysseas Kechagias Stamatis, Chief Technology Officer | Missiles Dept. Director - AKMON S.A.
  4. Speeders, combining USV and UAV capabilities
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    Unmmaned unmanned teaming for undersea warfareA unique CONOPS (concept of operations) for UDTThe scalability effect of the use of unmanned systemsSpecial needs of the maritime environment for unmanned …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Nigel Whybrow
    Nigel Whybrow, Future Submarines & Technology Director - Babcock International Group
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Erdem Kazakli
    Erdem Kazakli, Managing Director - Speeder Systems BV
10:30
  1. Morning break & networking
    30 mins
11:00
  1. Beyond EO/IR: Novel Sensor Concepts for Naval Applications
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    • Comparative evaluation of colour TV, polarimetric, neuromorphic, and SPAD sensors against baseline EO/IR modalities. • Defined use cases and representative maritime objects for structured evaluation …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Peter Don-Duncan
    Eur. Ing. Peter Don-Duncan, Research & Development Director - Advansys Solutions Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Matthew Amor BEng (Hon), MSc, CEng, CMgr, MIET, MCMI
    Mr Matthew Amor BEng (Hon), MSc, CEng, CMgr, MIET, MCMI, Chief Technologist Naval Optronics - Thales UK
  2. ASW Mission Planning, Real-Time Performance, and Environmental Monitoring for Hybrid ASW Forces
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    Agile Command and Adaptive Mission Planning Are Essential Environmental Factors Significantly Impact ASW Effectiveness Integrated Sensors and Forecasting Enable Tactical Adaptability
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mathieu Colin
    Dr. Mathieu Colin, Senior Scientist - TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for David O'Sullivan
    Mr David O'Sullivan, Maritime Autonomy Capture Lead - Thales UK
  3. Ultra-Low-Power, Mass-Producible Software-Defined Sonar for Active Acoustic Surveillance
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    The Strategic Need for Affordable Active Sonar: Attendees will understand why the rise of small, silent UUVs makes passive surveillance obsolete and why the widespread deployment of affordable, low-po …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Hannah Rose
    Dr. Hannah Rose, Acoustic Specialist - Thales UK
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Andrea Galvagni
    Dr. Andrea Galvagni, Chief Executive Officer - DYNAG
  4. REPMUS 25 Swarm Directional Gliders: Update
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    better understanding of underwater gliders Understand key drivers in persistent maritime surveillance. Better appreciation of interoperability challenges in ASW barrier operations. Better understandin …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Colby
    Simon Colby, Chief Technical Authority - BAE Systems
    Speakers
    Speaker image for John Moloney
    Mr John Moloney, Director, Defence and Autonomous Systems - JASCO Applied Sciences Canada Ltd
11:30
  1. Summarise and Identify Large Imagery Dataset using Latent Representation
    Keynote Theatre
    30 mins
    Self-supervised learning and clustering application to enable compact dataset summarization. Capturing both visual and spatial features from georeferenced sonar imagery using location-guided autoencod …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Peter Don-Duncan
    Eur. Ing. Peter Don-Duncan, Research & Development Director - Advansys Solutions Ltd
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Nisa Andersson
    Miss Nisa Andersson, System engineer - Saab AB
  2. Optimising autonomous platforms deployment using Monte Carlo Simulations
    Theatre 1
    30 mins
    • This multi disciplinary research contributes to academics, industry and naval applications by establishing Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) as a robust, scalable and adaptable decision support system to …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Mathieu Colin
    Dr. Mathieu Colin, Senior Scientist - TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research)
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Nikhil Vidwans
    Captain Nikhil Vidwans, Chief Executive Officer - Xaltcraft Technologies Inc
    Speaker image for Sanjay Mahindru
    Vice Admiral (Retd.) Sanjay Mahindru, Consultant - Xaltcraft
  3. AquaSignal: Robust Underwater Acoustic Analysis
    Theatre 2
    30 mins
    Integrated Approach to Underwater Signal Processing Attendees will understand how AquaSignal combines pre-processing, denoising, classification, and novelty detection into a cohesive machine learning …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Hannah Rose
    Dr. Hannah Rose, Acoustic Specialist - Thales UK
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Paulo Santos E.
    Associate Professor Paulo Santos E., Head of Research and Development - PrioriAnalytica
  4. Achieving success in no-fail missions: Lessons from 4 continuous years supporting USN, USCG and NATO
    Theatre 3
    30 mins
    • The future of Maritime Domain Awareness is hybrid: crewed ships, uncrewed platforms, and advanced sensors working together. • Saildrone is in its fourth continuous year of providing battlespace awar …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Simon Colby
    Simon Colby, Chief Technical Authority - BAE Systems
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Andrew Hertel
    Captain (Retd.) Andrew Hertel, Senior Director, Navy Programs - Saildrone
12:00
  1. Lunch break & networking
    60 mins
13:00
  1. Keynote Panel Discussion
    Keynote Theatre
    90 mins
     
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Adrian Pierce
    Adrian Pierce - UDT Global
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Adrian Fryer
    Adrian Fryer - SAAB UK
    Speaker image for Paul Flos RNLN
    Rear Admiral Paul Flos RNLN, Program Director International Naval Materiel Cooperation - Dutch Ministry of Defence