Zelim has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport to trial its ZOE detection system for uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
The agreement will see Zelim to take part in BlueTIDE 2025, a demonstration event led by 401 Tech Bridge, NavalX and the Northeast Tech Bridge. The trials will culminate in a full-scale exercise on August 28 in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
The ZOE MOB system is already in use in the cruise and offshore sectors to detect and track people in the water. The same AI technology underpins ZOE Shield, currently in development to provide situational awareness by detecting and classifying small surface craft operating without AIS.
The system also adds automated threat classification and is designed to remain operational in environments where GPS or radar systems may be disrupted.
“This agreement gives us a unique opportunity to trial ZOE Shield in an operational defence scenario at a US Navy facility, where multiple assets, including USVs will be deployed on the mission,” said Sam Mayall, CEO and co-founder of Zelim.
“This is about closing the gap between detection and decision, especially in domains where the threat is small, fast-moving and unpredictable. Our mission is to help operators identify anomalous behaviour earlier, whether the goal is rescue or protection. This demo is a vital step toward deploying ZOE for real-world defence scenarios.”
