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In an effort to strengthen maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, India and Australia have initiated their first bilateral defence science and technology project focused on undersea surveillance.
The breakthrough collaboration was announced just as the QUAD Foreign Ministers reiterated their shared commitment to maritime stability and technological innovation during their meeting in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
The joint research initiative between Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will focus on improving early detection and tracking of underwater threats, including submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The project will leverage advanced signal processing and machine learning algorithms through Towed Array Target Motion Analysis (TMA) systems.
“This is the first time India and Australia are co-developing undersea surveillance technologies at this scale,” said Amanda Bessell, Discipline Leader in DSTG’s Information Sciences Division. “Target Motion Analysis is central to passive surveillance and helps maintain situational awareness without compromising stealth.”
The three-year research program will explore how towed array hydrophones—deployed behind submarines or surface ships—can enhance acoustic monitoring.
DSTG Senior Researcher Sanjeev Arulampalam explained, “The system listens to the ocean from multiple angles, processing acoustic data to detect and track maritime targets with higher accuracy.”
This innovation emerges amid a broader strategic effort within the QUAD—comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the United States—to deepen cooperation on maritime and transnational security, including the development of critical technologies.
At the July 1 summit in Washington, the QUAD foreign ministers launched a new agenda aimed at bolstering regional peace and economic resilience.
“As four leading maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific, we are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the region’s security and prosperity,” the joint statement declared.
The ministers also reaffirmed their opposition to unilateral actions that alter the regional status quo, particularly in the South China Sea, and emphasised the importance of adherence to international maritime law, including UNCLOS.
For India, this focus on underwater surveillance aligns with its growing deployment of indigenous underwater drones.
The Indian Navy’s fleet of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, many of which are equipped with the GENISYS Self-Learning Command & Control module developed by SDEPL, plays a critical role in enhancing Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA).
“These AUVs are vital to real-time underwater monitoring and threat detection,” said a senior defence official familiar with the Indian Navy’s operations. “They conduct high-risk missions autonomously—ranging from anti-submarine warfare to mine countermeasures—without putting human lives at risk.”
Integrated with advanced sonar, imaging systems, and encrypted communication links, these platforms allow the Navy to track adversarial movements, protect shipping lanes, and monitor sensitive Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
“This partnership with Australia exemplifies the kind of innovation-driven collaboration we need to face evolving challenges in the underwater battlespace,” said Suneel Randhawa, Chief of DSTG’s Information Sciences Division. “It’s not just about new algorithms—it’s about building interoperable capabilities to secure the Indo-Pacific.”
As the QUAD sharpens its focus on high-tech cooperation and maritime deterrence, initiatives like the India-Australia undersea project are likely to become key pillars in safeguarding shared regional interests. As strategic waters become increasingly contested and adversaries rely on stealth technologies, real-time undersea intelligence may prove indispensable.
Huma Siddiqui
