Mission Systems Acquires Bluefin 21 AUVs “Unicorn” and “Macrura” from MIT

Mission Systems is excited to announce the acquisition of two Bluefin 21 autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), affectionately named "Unicorn" and "Macrura", from the Laboratory for Autonomous Marine Sensing Systems (LAMSS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Macrura operating under the Arctic ice pack in 2020.

These deep-diving vehicles, known for their robust design and versatility, will bolster Mission Systems’ underwater capability across a wide range of research, exploration, and defence applications.

Unicorn and Macrura come equipped with an array of advanced sensors and hardware, and their integration into the Mission Systems fleet marks an exciting step forward for sovereign subsea capability development in Australia.

The acquisition also includes significant logistics support, including spare parts, supporting hardware, and transportation equipment — now safely housed and organised in secure storage containers. Watch this space - more updates soon as we progress along the journey.