Cellula Robotics US Inc. and Metron, Inc. have entered into a 10-year agreement to deliver integrated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) solutions tailored for the United States defense market.
The collaboration merges Cellula’s commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) long-endurance AUV platforms with Metron’s expertise in adaptive mission autonomy and undersea warfare. This long-term framework is designed to address the increasing demand for rapid fielding, modularity, and operational reliability in underwater environments. By utilizing an open-architecture approach, the partnership ensures that systems can be scaled quickly and integrated with third-party sensors and mission-specific payloads.
The two companies have a history of cooperation, including contributions to the Defense Innovation Unit’s CAMP project. This formalized agreement aims to provide the US Navy and other defense customers with a mission-ready ecosystem that combines proven vehicle hardware with high-level decision superiority software.
Neil Manning, CEO of Cellula Robotics, said, “We’ve worked closely with Metron over the last three years, and this agreement builds on that successful relationship. It gives customers greater confidence in supply, long-term support, and operational performance by bringing together complementary strengths in a solution designed to be fielded faster and aligned closely with mission needs.”
The move also expands Cellula’s footprint within the United States, leveraging its growing domestic team alongside Metron’s four decades of experience in the US defense sector. Metron’s established relationships with operators and program leads are expected to align the technological development closely with evolving mission priorities.
Van Gurley, President and CEO of Metron, Inc., said, “Cellula brings a proven, flexible COTS platform approach to the partnership. That is important for defense customers looking for capability that can be adapted, integrated, and fielded quickly with confidence. Together, we are combining our autonomy, mission planning, and novel payload options with Cellula’s long-endurance AUV platforms in a way that delivers the next-generation autonomous undersea system the US Navy has been pursuing for over a decade.”
This partnership complements Cellula’s existing global network of marine technology providers while ensuring a dedicated focus on the specific technical and support requirements of the US maritime domain.
