Towed array systems have traditionally been integrated into a limited number of specialized naval vessels. By adapting OptiArray into a portable, containerized system, OPTICS11 will allow navies to gain advanced sonar sensing capability across a much broader range of existing vessels. Crewed and uncrewed maritime platforms can be retrofitted according to operational need. Wider sensing availability becomes a strategic advantage as drone use expands exponentially.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense has contracted the first systems under the ASWINABO, or Anti-Submarine Warfare In A Box, program, which is intended to strengthen the readiness and self-sufficiency of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The contract continues the adoption of OPTICS11’s technology by the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Autonomous underwater systems are becoming more widely available, while subsea and maritime infrastructure is an increasingly attractive target for espionage, sabotage, and hybrid threats. Sophisticated underwater monitoring is becoming a critical component of national security.

OptiArray, the next-generation fiber-optic-based towed array, is built using world-leading fiber optic hydrophone technology to deliver exceptional underwater detection for anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. Unlike conventional electrical towed arrays, which rely on powered electronics throughout the sensing chain, generate electrical noise, and are susceptible to electromagnetic interference, OptiArray is passive and so remains acoustically silent while capturing significantly richer acoustic information. The result is earlier detection, more accurate target classification, and greater operational confidence for decision-making.

Alongside delivery of the operational systems, the project will establish the production, integration, and validation capability required to support future deployment at scale. Investment in manufacturing readiness, supply chain resilience, and production infrastructure will also help mature technologies supporting future programs, while strengthening the Netherlands’ ability to rapidly field advanced underwater sensing capabilities as operational requirements continue to evolve.

Paul Heiden, CEO of OPTICS11, said: “The underwater threat environment is evolving rapidly, but advanced threat sensing has traditionally been confined to a small number of specialist naval platforms. By containerizing OptiArray, we’re making world-class detection faster, more flexible and cheaper. We want to set the standard for unmanned underwater and above-water drones, as our technology is a perfect fit for doing this: light, small, highly sensitive and very accurate. As critical subsea infrastructure becomes increasingly contested, prevention starts with detection.”

Lucas Leppink, Captain RNLN (OF-5), Head of the Maritime Systems Department, COMMIT (NL-MoD), said: “With ASWINABO, the Royal Netherlands Navy will be able to equip its surface ships, unmanned surface vessels and any other vessel of opportunity with underwater surveillance capability, a game-changer for maritime security operations and undersea infrastructure protection.”