Anduril Industries buys unmanned submarine maker Dive Technologies

The Dive-LD unmanned underwater vehicle. (Dive Technologies)

US defence technology business Anduril Industries has extended its unmanned capabilities to the undersea domain by acquiring unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) provider Dive Technologies, Anduril announced on 2 February.

The 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) Dive Large Displacement (Dive-LD) UUV can autonomously conduct undersea intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as commercial missions. Dive “brings unparalleled, deep domain expertise under the sea as well as a shared commitment to transforming US and allied military capabilities with advanced technology”, Anduril co-founder and CEO Brian Schimpf said.

Dive co-founder and CEO Bill Lebo said that joining Anduril will help his Boston, Massachusetts-based start-up “rapidly scale our team, technology, and production”. Dive's 30 employees are expected to remain in their jobs, boosting Anduril's workforce to more than 750 people.

Anduril's existing products include the Anvil unmanned quadcopter, which intercepts and destroys other drones, and the Ghost 4 unmanned helicopter, which performs surveillance. Anduril acquired Area-I, which makes tube-launched unmanned aerial vehicles, in April 2021.

Anduril purchased Dive from three investment firms: Tanis Venture Management, Mill Town Capital, and the Virginia Tech Carilion Innovation Fund & Seed Fund. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.