The Dutch Ministry of Defence is collaborating with Delft-based start-up Lobster Robotics to develop a military-grade version of an underwater drone.
The Royal Netherlands Navy will use the drone as part of a project called the rapid adoption action plan (RAAP), which aims for the swift implementation of new technologies for NATO. The drone is designed to image, identify, and classify objects on the seabed.
State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman stated that the project illustrates how civilian innovations can be deployed by the armed forces. He added that such "dual-use" technologies help to strengthen NATO's collective, "technological edge and operational effectiveness".
It is expected that RAAP will be approved at this year's NATO summit, the ministry said.
Lobster Robotics was one of the first companies to participate in NATO’s DIANA innovation accelerator programme, which it completed in February of this year. The ministry stated that the knowledge gained from the project will be shared with other NATO countries and allies.