
Oceaneering International
US subsea engineering and robotics company partnering with Kongsberg on the CAMP XLUUV design.
Last refreshed: 18 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can an offshore oil-rig contractor really help build the US Navy's next submarine drone?
Timeline for Oceaneering International
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Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
Oceaneering International, a Houston-based subsea engineering and robotics group, was selected on 15 July 2026 alongside Norway's Kongsberg Discovery by the US Defense Innovation Unit to design an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle for the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform programme, with concept and system design due in the third quarter of 2026.
Founded in 1964, Oceaneering built its name servicing offshore oil and gas platforms with remotely operated vehicles before extending into subsea robotics, umbilicals and defence-adjacent underwater systems. Its ROV fleet remains one of the largest commercially operated in the world, giving it deep-water engineering experience that transfers directly to military autonomous-vehicle design.
The CAMP contract marks Oceaneering's entry into a next-generation US Navy uncrewed-underwater programme running alongside, and potentially informing, the AUKUS Pillar II seabed-warfare effort, positioning a commercial offshore contractor as a design partner in frontline naval autonomy.