The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) announced Mission Sea-Spear in May 2025.  

The mission is focussed on supporting the certification and accreditation of the Royal Australian Navy’s autonomous vessels to enable them to safely and lawfully deploy various effects in operational environments.

It addresses the following problem statement: How might we deter, disrupt, or defeat adversary threat force projection, force protection and force sustainment operations with expendable, autonomous, low cost, sea deployed effects?

Milestones

On the 19 May 2025, Mission Sea-Spear commenced with ASCA, funding contracts valued at $19.9 million (excluding GST) to further support Navy’s objectives.

Background

A key objective of the mission is to ensure that the processes and methodologies developed are repeatable, traceable, and defensible, such that they establish a robust and transparent foundation that can be readily applied to future autonomous vessels the Navy may acquire.