AUV Enters Series Production for Naval Surveillance & Seabed Infrastructure Protection

The first series-production GREYSHARK autonomous underwater vehicle from Evologics and EUROATLAS has been unveiled at EURONAVAL 2026, marking the transition from prototype development to industrial delivery for European government customers.

Orders have already been secured from European government customers, with initial deliveries scheduled to take place before the end of 2026. Jointly developed by Bremen-based defence technology company EUROATLAS and Berlin-based maritime high-tech company EvoLogics, the platform has advanced from its initial prototype debut at EURONAVAL 2024 to series manufacturing within two years. The move into industrial production comes as naval forces seek to expand underwater surveillance, protect critical seabed infrastructure, and strengthen maritime awareness through autonomous systems delivered at scale.

Highlighting the industrial transition, Eugen Ciemnyjewski, Managing Director of Euroatlas, said, “The challenge in defence innovation is not only to develop advanced technology, but to translate it into operational capabilities that can be produced and delivered at scale. Moving GREYSHARK™ from prototype to series production in two years is an important step in that direction. Together with our partners, we are building the industrial foundation to deliver autonomous underwater systems that can support the growing operational requirements of navies and maritime security organisations.”

Engineered for long-duration, multi-mission operations in demanding maritime environments, the vehicle measures approximately six meters in length and features a flow-optimized, bio-inspired hull shape that combines range, maneuverability, and advanced sensor technology. GREYSHARK is designed to support naval forces in extending underwater awareness across large operational areas, focusing on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, and critical underwater infrastructure monitoring.

In terms of mobility and endurance, the vehicle operates at a cruising speed of ten knots and can reach higher speeds when required, ranking it among the fastest autonomous underwater vehicles in its class. In its battery-powered configuration, GREYSHARK achieves an operational range of approximately 300 nautical miles at four knots, with mission endurance lasting three to five days depending on the operational profile. Ongoing development includes a fuel cell-powered variant designed to significantly extend operational range and endurance.

A core operational differentiator is the platform’s advanced autonomous swarm capability, which allows multiple vehicles to establish dynamic underwater networks. Communicating in real time via encrypted S2C underwater acoustics, the units share reconnaissance data live and distribute operational tasks fully automatically among themselves, including the targeted investigation of detected suspicious objects.

Reflecting on the milestone, Fabian Bannasch, Managing Director of EvoLogics GmbH, stated, “The start of series production is a crucial milestone for us. I am delighted that the GREYSHARK™ will soon be used by customers in the use cases for which it was developed. The positive feedback from the industry over the past months has confirmed that we are closing an important technological gap. We offer a state-of-the-art, covert, and endurance-capable solution for maritime reconnaissance and the effective protection of critical underwater infrastructure.”