Selection enables direct prototype awards without further competition, accelerating Navy adoption for unmanned undersea operations

Terradepth, a venture-backed maritime technology company delivering the Ocean Operating System™, today announced that its Absolute Ocean cloud-native data-to-decision platform has been formally moved into the Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) Rapid Capabilities Cell (RCC) Hopper at Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic.

The selection follows a successful Phase II Pitch under the NIWC Atlantic Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) N65236-26-S-0001, Area of Interest (AOI) 26-A001 for the Unmanned Naval Innovation Team (UNIT) in Robotics and Autonomous Systems.

An integral component of Terradepth’s pitch was AO OnBoard, an on-vessel, browser-accessible computing capability that extends the Absolute Ocean® platform to the edge, enabling secure data access and visualization across vessel and shore.

RCC Hopper placement designates Absolute Ocean as a government-evaluated and immediately available prototype solution. U.S. Navy sponsors can now execute direct prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreements immediately for up to 24 months. This mechanism enables dramatic acceleration and scaling to deployment for undersea autonomy, data fusion, and decision advantage.

“This is a pivotal milestone in making Absolute Ocean accessible to government customers,” said Joe Wolfel, Founder and CEO at Terradepth. “RCC Hopper turns a rigorous competitive review into an off-the-shelf acquisition option that any USG customer can use immediately. Our technology is no longer ‘in process’—it is ready to buy, ready to field, and ready to deliver decisive maritime superiority at the speed of relevance.”

Absolute Ocean is the software foundation of Terradepth’s Ocean Operating System™, a fully integrated, end‑to‑end subsea data ecosystem that spans autonomous vehicle fleets, edge computing, cloud federation, and AI‑driven PED. The platform ingests and manages a broad range of data types, including raw and processed sonar, oceanographic, and unmanned system (UxV) data, enabling near real‑time analysis and collaboration across distributed teams. AO OnBoard accelerates these workflows by allowing raw data to be visualized directly from the vessel as it is collected, without relying on post-mission hard-drive transfers or full cloud uploads, even in low-bandwidth environments.

Designed to operate seamlessly across unclassified and classified environments, Absolute Ocean supports workflows on NIPRNet, SIPRNet, and TS/SCI domains. The platform leverages computer vision and custom AI/ML models for automated target recognition and tipping-and-cueing, delivering a dynamic, 3D common operating picture for operators. Proven in major U.S. Navy exercises, including TRIDENT SPECTRE, RIMPAC 2024, and ONR TOEE, Absolute Ocean is currently in operational use by the U.S. Navy across AWS GovCloud, Navy enclave networks, and deployed edge hardware.

“Customers and partners have long asked for a unified platform that turns undersea data into weapons-grade intelligence without years of integration risk,” Wolfel added. “RCC Hopper validates that Absolute Ocean meets the need and provides the fastest pathway for the Navy and broader DoD to adopt it now.”

This announcement comes ahead of Terradepth’s exhibition at Sea Air Space 2026 (April 19–22, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD). Booth visitors will see live demonstrations of the Ocean Operating System™, including Absolute Ocean’s edge-to-cloud workflow, hybrid LUUV operations, and near real-time data-to-decision capabilities tailored for contested maritime domains.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE