Cellula Robotics USA Inc. has been selected to deliver a long-endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) under a contract awarded by the U.S. Defence Innovation Unit (DIU), as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) initiative.
The programme is led by Metron Inc., with Cellula responsible for supplying its fuel cell-powered Guardian AUV®, a commercial off-the-shelf system designed for extended missions and capable of carrying and deploying payloads at range.
The award highlights the growing role of commercial technology providers in defence programmes, where speed of deployment and proven capability are increasingly prioritised. It also reflects a broader shift toward autonomous systems in maritime operations, where endurance and reliability are critical to mission success.
Neil Manning, CEO of Cellula Robotics, said: “We are proud to be entrusted by DIU and to work shoulder to shoulder with Metron and our industry partners to deliver capability that matters. This award underscores the trust placed in our technology, the strength of our growing U.S. team, and our shared dedication to advancing maritime systems that provide operational advantage to the operational stakeholders.”
Multi-partner delivery model
The programme brings together a consortium of specialist organisations, combining expertise in autonomy, mission systems and subsea engineering. Alongside Metron, the delivery team includes Integer Technologies and General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences.
Cellula will also work in collaboration with Schilling Robotics, LLC, a TechnipFMC company with more than four decades of experience in subsea robotics. The partnership supports system integration, testing and deployment, strengthening delivery capability across the programme lifecycle.
From a project delivery perspective, the initiative reflects a coordinated, multi-partner model where responsibilities are distributed across specialist providers. This approach enables rapid development and integration of complex systems, while maintaining flexibility and scalability.
Expanding US capability
The contract also supports Cellula’s continued expansion in the United States, with additional investment in engineering and technical teams focused on integration, testing and customer support.
The Guardian AUV® platform is designed to meet increasing demand for long-endurance autonomous systems in defence and maritime operations, where persistent presence and operational efficiency are key requirements.
As defence programmes continue to adopt commercial innovation, projects like CAMP demonstrate how collaboration between industry and government is shaping the next generation of autonomous maritime capability.
