Historical developments in USV, UUV and UGV systems. Original milestones, source-linked evidence and reviewed UXV Searcher analysis.
On July 31, 2026, EyeROV stated that it was building five underwater ROV systems for an existing Indian Navy order. Independent reporting identifies the underlying Indian Navy contract as a September 2025 award valued at INR 470 million, so the 2026 entry is retained only as a production-stage status milestone.
Original event: 31 Jul 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
DRDO's Naval Science & Technological Laboratory published GeM bid GEM/2026/B/7154224 on January 29, 2026 for technical and contingent services supporting Autonomous Underwater System preparation, trials, and testing at NSTL and designated locations.
Original event: January 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On June 3, 2026, DRDO issued GeM bid GEM/2026/B/7425437 for consultancy services to optimise the guidance and control system of an autonomous underwater vehicle. The beneficiary is the Director, Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, and the work is UUV-specific engineering intended to improve AUV guidance and control performance.
Original event: June 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On February 17, 2026, ATLA's Naval Systems Research Center signed a JPY 2.2825 million service contract with Hitachi for an information-assurance future-equipment study at the Iwakuni test satellite. The official contract rationale requires expertise in the core network equipment of the Long-Duration UUV evaluation HILS system.
Original event: 17 Feb 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On March 27, 2026, ATLA signed a JPY 597.41 million contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to manufacture one set of test consumables for the UUV Ocean Situation Awareness Module. The official sole-source rationale links the work to Long-Duration UUV technology research and the module's research prototype.
Original event: 27 Mar 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
Tender status: Closed – Evaluation/selection status not publicly confirmed \| Procedure: 公募 / 契約希望者募集 \| Scope: UUV Trials / Evaluation Services. On April 8, 2026, ATLA issued Public Notice No. 36 seeking contractors for preparation, measurement, and removal work associated with performance-confirmation testing of the UUV Ocean Situation Awareness Module.
Original event: 8 Apr 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On May 15, 2026, ATLA issued Public Notice No. 57 for simulation and data-analysis services associated with performance-confirmation testing of the UUV Ocean Situation Awareness Module. The notice required expertise in the module research prototype and specified prospective completion by March 31, 2027.
Original event: 15 May 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
Tender status: Closed – evaluation/selection status not publicly confirmed. ATLA's Naval Systems Research Center issued Public Notice No. 20 on May 19, 2026 for OZZ-5 interoperability capability-improvement services. The solicitation required detailed technical knowledge of the OZZ-5 autonomous underwater mine detector.
Original event: 19 May 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On June 2, 2026, ATLA's Naval Systems Research Center signed a JPY 6.49 million research-support contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems. The official rationale requires expertise in the computing, data-recording, and operation-and-control equipment of the Long-Duration UUV evaluation HILS system.
Original event: 2 Jun 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On June 3, 2026, ATLA amended its standing contractor-entry notice to add technical support for performance-confirmation testing of the UUV Ocean Situation Awareness Module. Entry item 8-1 requires a contractor able to inherit the results of the module research-prototype work and possess the necessary technology or equipment.
Original event: 3 Jun 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On June 5, 2026, ATLA's Naval Systems Research Center signed a JPY 28.467881 million contract with Hitachi for RASUW simulation work. The bilateral project links Japanese and Australian underwater acoustic-communications test and evaluation simulators to establish evaluation metrics supporting future autonomous-UUV interoperability.
Original event: 5 Jun 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On June 11, 2026, ATLA's Naval Systems Research Center signed a JPY 54.12 million contract with Hitachi for a concept-design study for future equipment at the Iwakuni Marine Environment Test and Evaluation Satellite.
Original event: 11 Jun 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On August 27, 2026, ATLA issued Public Notice No. 135 for a technical study of issues associated with UUV mission modules. Eligibility explicitly required specialized knowledge of the Long-Duration UUV research prototype and the UUV Ocean Situation Awareness Module research prototype.
Original event: 27 Aug 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On March 23, 2026, JMSDF Yokosuka District Headquarters solicited contract candidates for FY2026-FY2027 operational-test support involving the OZZ-100 underwater unmanned vehicle. The requirement covers technical capability and UUV operating knowledge needed to support underwater-weapon operational testing.
Original event: March 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On March 25, 2026, JMSDF Supply Headquarters opened a contract-candidate solicitation for FY2026-FY2028 RMF technical investigation relating specifically to the OZZ-100 underwater unmanned vehicle. The requirement seeks qualified contractors to support OZZ-100 lifecycle, technical-assurance, and risk-management work.
Original event: March 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On March 30, 2026, JMSDF Supply Headquarters opened a procurement for maintenance, configuration management, technical investigation, software correction, and technical changes for software used by the Unmanned Mine Disposal System (UMDS).
Original event: March 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On May 25, 2026, ATLA issued Public Notice No. 61 for the second feasibility-study effort concerning a UUV for disposal of buried mines. Eligibility requirements reference technical knowledge of OZZ-5 and next-generation mine-detection research prototypes, placing the work directly in the defence UUV/MCM technology chain.
Original event: 25 May 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026
On August 20, 2026, JMSDF Supply Headquarters issued a distinct FY2026-FY2028 solicitation for closed-network Iridium communications supporting the OZZ-100 UUV. The requirement covers SBD/Certus services and a closed-network configuration, making it a later and separate communications-support requirement from the April OZZ-100 Iridium solicitation.
Original event: August 2026
Published: 10 Oct 2026