Ultra Maritime Demonstrates Autonomous Counter-UUV Detection with SSQ-125B Sonobuoy

17 August 2026
Edited By: Haley McQueen

Ultra Maritime has successfully demonstrated a new integrated active-passive sonar solution capable of providing persistent surveillance across contested maritime environments. During the US Navy's 2026 Lanternfish exercise, the company combined its Sea Spear deployable passive sonar with its newly developed SSQ-125B active sonobuoy to passively detect and actively localize unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), as a major step toward validating Ultra Maritime's acoustic architecture designed for the future of autonomous counter-UUV and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

(Image credit: Ultra Maritime)

The demonstration advances Ultra Maritime’s Ocean of Things vision—a distributed, intelligent network of autonomous underwater sensors that can be deployed from both manned and unmanned platforms to create a continuous, real-time picture of the undersea battlespace. The scalable solution can be configured for missions ranging from port and critical infrastructure protection to maritime choke point security, expeditionary operations, and long-duration surveillance of strategically important waterways.

At the center of the demonstration is the SSQ-125B, the only active sonobuoy of its kind, designed and manufactured exclusively by Ultra Maritime. Representing the latest generation of active sonobuoy technology, the SSQ-125B delivers enhanced detection and localization performance while complementing the persistent passive sensing capabilities of Sea Spear. Together, the two systems create an integrated detection ecosystem that extends the range, persistence, and effectiveness of autonomous ASW operations, establishing a new standard for distributed undersea surveillance and reinforcing Ultra Maritime’s position as a global leader in next-generation undersea warfare technologies.