Surveillance Sensors Utilize Light to Monitor Subsea Activities and Protect Europe from Potential Sabotage
In a groundbreaking development, Dutch tech scaleup Optics11 has launched OptiBarrier, an innovative underwater monitoring system that uses fiber-optic sensors to detect foreign objects without revealing its own position. Unlike traditional sonar systems that emit electromagnetic pulses, making them susceptible to detection and jamming, OptiBarrier listens with light.
The system, which consists of metal fiber-optic linked hydrophone pods placed on the seafloor, about 1 km apart in a daisy chain layout, detects vessels up to 150 km away. It boasts three detection zones, ranging from precise real-time tracking within 6 km of the pods to less precise detection up to 30 km. In some cases, it can even identify the make and model of vessels based on variations in signal measurements.
OptiBarrier's unique detection method involves the use of fiber-optic sensors that detect pressure changes altering light travel caused by underwater sound waves. These minute changes are transmitted via cable to land-based software that interprets these photonic pulses into meaningful acoustic data, enabling the detection of submarines, drones, and surface vessels.
The technology used by OptiBarrier is entirely undetectable and can't be jammed, making it a significant leap in underwater monitoring technology. This stealth advantage, combined with its long detection range, has sparked interest from European governments investing in autonomous ocean surveillance drones and building new submarines.
One such government is the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is testing Optics11’s related OptiArray device and plans to integrate it into its new class of submarines set for roll-out in 2032. While the exact locations where OptiBarrier has been tested are not publicly detailed, the integration of OptiArray into Dutch naval contexts suggests operational interest and testing.
Optics11 has also developed OptiArray, a second product tailored for submarines and underwater drones. This fibre optic technology-based antenna, mounted on the exterior of underwater vehicles, allows them to detect nearby threats while remaining completely undetectable themselves.
The war in Ukraine and subsequent geopolitical tensions have led to increased investment in maritime defense technology by European governments, positioning OptiBarrier as a timely solution in the evolving landscape of underwater surveillance. As Optics11 plans to roll out OptiBarrier in Europe first, but has not disclosed the timeline, the future of underwater monitoring is set to become significantly more advanced and secure.
Science and technology continue to shape the future of maritime defense, as evident in the development and rollout of Optics11's OptiBarrier, a revolutionary underwater monitoring system. This groundbreaking technology, integrating fiber-optic sensors for undetectable and unjammable underwater monitoring, has caught the attention of European governments, particularly those investing in autonomous ocean surveillance drones and new submarine construction.
