Dutch Start-Up Optics11 Talks With Dozens of Navies About Underwater Listening Technology
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Optics11, a small technology company from the Netherlands, is in talks with dozens of navies about its underwater sensing technology. The company uses optical fibre, a thin strand of glass that can carry light, to pick up sound and movement in the water. The technology is being considered for underwater monitoring and threat detection.
Optical-fibre sensors work in a different way from traditional underwater microphones. Instead of using electronic parts at each sensing point, they send light along a fibre and measure small changes in that light when the fibre is disturbed by sound or vibration. This means the sensors can be long, cover a wide area and be placed along cables on the seabed or along ships. Defence experts say that systems like this can help navies detect submarines, boats and other activity in coastal areas and in deep water.
The details of the talks have not been made public. Optics11 has not released a full list of the navies involved, and it is not clear which contracts, if any, will be signed. The company's work is described as secretive, which is common in defence technology, because governments usually limit information about military sensing systems.
The story is mainly a business and defence development, rather than a major event that directly changes life in the United Kingdom. However, it shows growing interest among navies around the world in new ways to watch the seas. As more countries invest in underwater security, companies that develop sensing technology are likely to attract more attention from governments and military buyers.
Sources: Defense News
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