US and UK Launch REEF Program to Counter Underwater Drone Threats to Ports

The US and UK are collaborating on the Robotic Exclusion and Engagement Framework to detect and neutralize underwater drone threats to ports and critical infrastructure. The system will employ AI-enabled sensors to distinguish hostile undersea drones from marine life and cargo vessels, with response options ranging from nonkinetic measures (nets, bubble curtains, decoys) to kinetic payloads and acoustic directed energy. The solicitation warns 'current solutions are fragmented, expensive, and limited in number.' Nonkinetic solutions are preferred.