Optimising decision-making in the maritime context

SeaSEC 2026 Optimising Decision-Making in the Maritime Context

2026-04-28 Source: Press release Rheinmetall AG | Translated by AI 4 min Reading Time

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Successful deployment of an autonomous system network.

The Naval Systems division of Rheinmetall has agreed on a strategic technology collaboration with IBM, Anschütz and besecke for the joint development of autonomous surface vessels. The industrial cooperation aims to further improve decision-making in complex maritime environments.

“We are witnessing dynamics in current conflicts that are increasingly influenced by autonomous and highly automated systems. In addition, there are security risks to maritime infrastructure in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. We must find effective responses to these new threat scenarios. The most sustainable solution is the autonomous system network, in which we connect crewed motherships with partly uncrewed, autonomous underwater, surface and aerial vehicles. This ensures rapid and flexible responsiveness, reduced risk for crews, and high operational efficiency,” said Tim Wagner, CEO of the Rheinmetall Naval Systems division.

The AI-supported system features enhanced autonomous capabilities for participation in and improvement of decision-making and safety in maritime traffic, as well as for maritime reconnaissance, surveillance and defence. The first demonstrator, the 12 meter (approx. 39.4 ft) deployment boat AMC12 (Autonomous Modular Craft), was successfully tested for the first time at this year’s SeaSEC 2026 in Rostock and demonstrated several capabilities, including a new autonomous mode.

“At SeaSEC, we successfully tested the AMC12 in cooperation under real conditions for the first time. This capability demonstrator is the result of joint, intensive research and development work based on demand-oriented analyses and qualified assessments of current and future threat scenarios. Our goal is to equip our armed forces with the equipment they need to fulfil their tasks of national and alliance defence in the best possible way,” Wagner continued.

The SeaSEC deployment of the AMC12 took place as part of a challenge aimed at testing reconnaissance for the protection of critical infrastructure such as pipelines or offshore wind farms. The SeaSEC cooperation includes Anschütz and IBM as well as numerous other well-known companies in the field of underwater sensor technology.

The AMC platform, which has already successfully completed its first sea trials in the shipyard harbour of Rheinmetall’s Blohm+Voss site, is designed as a modular system and enables the flexible integration of a wide range of technologies through interchangeable mission modules, from navigation and sensor systems to communication solutions and AI applications. The demonstrator combines IBM’s expertise in artificial intelligence, Software Defined Defence (SDD) and cloud technology with advanced automated navigation and mission systems from Anschütz, which also ensure certification for participation in maritime traffic. Ship automation is provided by besecke. The underwater sensor technology used during SeaSEC is supplied by MacArtney Germany. Overall system integration and platform manufacturing are managed by Rheinmetall Naval Systems as a leading national provider of military surface vessels and pioneer in the development of autonomous surface systems.

“Our collaboration with Rheinmetall and Anschütz brings together key technologies to reshape the future of decision-making and AI-supported reconnaissance in maritime defence. By leveraging Software Defined Defence technology on modern cloud infrastructure, we can develop advanced surface vessels capable of performing complex maritime operations with maximum efficiency and security,” explained Sandra Pfetzing-Huber, Executive Partner at IBM Germany. “We are pleased to contribute our expertise and technologies to a project with enormous potential for maritime security strategy.”

IBM contributes its expertise in artificial intelligence and quantum-safe encryption to the project. These technologies provide highly advanced decision support and robust security mechanisms. In addition, IBM’s container platform enables the rapid development and rollout of new software packages, allowing the system to respond to the latest challenges at any time.

Andreas Weidner, Managing Director at Anschütz, said: “Anschütz is a pioneer in integrated, software-defined navigation solutions for naval vessels in Germany. Based on our proven and certified technology, we have developed Anschütz Autonomics, a navigation and mission system for autonomous and uncrewed surface units. Together with our partners, we are creating a true game changer for uncrewed maritime operations.”

Anschütz supplies the integrated command navigation system for the AMC platform for both autonomous and remotely supervised operation in military missions. Anschütz Autonomics ensures precise autonomous navigation and control of the platform while enabling secure remote monitoring and control via a remote tactical operations centre, such as a land station, mothership or container solution. The system’s capabilities also include an automated collision avoidance system in accordance with COLREG with dynamic course and speed control, the creation of a comprehensive maritime situational picture using navigation, optical and tactical sensors, and advanced tactical target management with automated target detection and classification.

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“The project allows us to present our proven cooperation with Anschütz in combining underwater sensor technology with an integrated navigation and situational awareness solution in an application on an autonomous platform. On the AMC platform, we represent the front end of the process chain from detection through classification to identification of unknown and potentially critical underwater objects. We provide highly precise georeferenced data essential for creating an underwater situational picture,” said Torsten Turla, Managing Director of MacArtney Germany.

MacArtney Germany provides a high-resolution multibeam echo sounder from the Danish manufacturer Teledyne Reson, including a geodetic GNSS and INS solution. The measurement system can be enhanced with the capability to detect both magnetic and electric field anomalies and can also be expanded with sensors for detecting objects in sediment. In addition, remotely operated vehicles for detailed inspection and intervention as well as autonomous underwater vehicles for detailed reconnaissance are integrated into the overall system concept.

besecke supplies the ship automation for the AMC12 demonstrator, replacing manual interventions with intelligent automatic functions. Ongoing digitisation helps compensate for staff shortages. Furthermore, besecke records relevant system and voyage data during operation and makes this available for subsequent evaluation and analysis. The decentralised system architecture ensures maximum redundancy and reliability. Individual components operate independently, helping to maintain the functionality of the overall system even in the event of a failure.

The demonstrator was fully developed in advance by the industry partners and underlines the close cooperation of major maritime industry players in the research and development of innovative technologies.