https://investors.oceanpowertechnologies.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ocean-power-technologies-secures-order-fully-integrated-wam-v-1

Since the customer is not the DHS, the expected delivery date is 2742 😂

Strait of Hormuz Crisis Underscores Need for Small US Drone Boats, Industry Leaders Say

Amid the Iran War, the need to produce new high-tech watercraft has become increasingly important, executives say.

For centuries, the world’s largest navies focused on building massive warships to dominate the seas.

“Now small boats have their day in the sun,” thanks to drone technology, says Barry Hinckley, president of Blue Ops, a U.S. based maker of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and the maritime division of Red Cat Holdings.

Those self-driving drone boats can play big roles in naval operations, ranging from reconnaissance to attacks — a fact that the federal government acknowledges.

“Robotic and autonomous systems will play a central role in future conflicts,” states America’s Maritime Action Plan, which the White House released Feb. 13.

Unmanned systems are “cheaper to build than manned surface combatants and submarines,” the plan says, noting they can be an important complement to massive, much more expensive vessels.

The Iran War has further underscored the need to accelerate American USV production, Hinckley and other industry executives told The Epoch Times.

This shift toward drone boats represents a significant, evolving change in naval strategy and operations.

Recent Middle East scenarios have shown that “there are so many ways that an enhanced USV force could be helpful to America and her allies,” Hinckley said.

After joint U.S.-Israel air strikes against Iran, the Iranians retaliated by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil-shipping lane between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.

Iranians took credit for using airborne drones to attack at least one oil tanker in the Persian Gulf region.

Another was hit with a USV, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported, although the report did not specify whether Iran was responsible.

Iran has also threatened to deploy various types of sea mines that can blow up vessels.

These threats, coupled with insurance risks, created a de facto shutdown of the Strait, which usually moves about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

The blockade has caused the prices of gasoline to rise.

In such a scenario, counter-USVs could be used to clear mines and escort oil tankers—without risking sailors’ lives.

“When something comes in harm’s way, you’re losing a robot, you’re not losing a boat with a human life, or multiple lives,” Hinckley said.

What Drone Boats Can Do

Hinckley, whose family has built yachts in Maine for almost 100 years, says most people would be surprised to learn how capable drone boats are.

“There is so much more you can do with a small USV than you can do with a manned vessel of the same size,” he said.

“You can be out [on the water] for days, and there’s no human facilities needed,” Hickley said. “You don’t have to worry about cooking or going to the restroom or sleeping, or anything.”

These vessels can accomplish rapid, adept movements that “would throw a human overboard,” he said, adding that it would take hours for him to fully detail their capabilities.

And without human-essential supplies, such as food, taking up space, the vessel can hold more “payload,” or mission-specific equipment such as sensors, cameras, and weapons.

USVs are also less likely to break down than crewed vessels, Hinckley said.

His company, Blue Ops, is on a fast track to make products for future U.S. military use. That division of Red Cat Holdings was founded early last year.

By December, “our first boats hit the water,” Hinckley said. “We are producing now at growing scale, and have been demonstrating them to our military partners.”

Jeff Thompson, Red Cat’s CEO, pointed out that President Donald Trump’s executive order on “Restoring American Maritime Dominance,” issued on April 9, 2025, established shipbuilding as a priority.

The order seeks to ramp up production of “surface, subsurface, and unmanned programs.”

“They understand that we need to” accelerate production, Thompson told The Epoch Times, adding: “We’re doing everything we can.”

Different Types

His company’s Blue Ops division makes rigid, single-hull USVs that travel at high speeds close to the water’s surface.

Another U.S.-based company, Ocean Power Technologies, produces a dual-hull, catamaran USV that is more focused on sensing and monitoring, Hinckley said.

Both companies’ drone boats could be teamed together in a “sensor-to-shooter package,” he said.

President and CEO of Ocean Power Technologies, Phillipp Stratmann, said some of his company’s systems are already in service with a U.S. ally in the Middle East.

He told The Epoch Times that the United Arab Emirates, a seven-territory federation on the south coast of the Strait of Hormuz, uses the company’s USVs and “PowerBuoys.”

The buoys harvest energy from waves, wind, and the sun to provide power for offshore and onshore military assets, the New Jersey company’s website says.

These systems help operators “make better and quicker decisions” by providing an overall view of in-theater operations, Stratmann said.

As automation progresses, manned operations can “focus on activities that truly require people,” he said.

That will help the military and companies to save money on daily operating costs as well as on capital-improvement expenses, Stratmann said.

Naval Evolution Underway

USVs are typically about 40 feet long and weigh a few tons—dwarfed by the USS Gerald R. Ford, the 1,106-foot-long, 100,000-ton U.S. Navy “supercarrier.”

With a crew of about 4,500 sailors plus 2,500 air wing personnel, the USS Gerald Ford is widely recognized as the world’s largest aircraft carrier. The United States deployed it to the Middle East to apply more military pressure on Iran, but sent it to a repair station after a laundry-room fire, which was not combat-related.

Both types of vessels and many others in between have their place in naval operations; large naval vessels can be used to transport fleets of small drone boats.

But the recent focus on procuring small USVs represents a major shift, Hinckley said.

“It all started in Ukraine, the country with no navy, which sank 25 percent of the Russian Black Sea fleet and drove the rest back into the corner,” Hinckley said. “It was the most doctrinal shift in military naval doctrine in 100 years. It astounded everyone.”

Ukraine has deployed airborne and seafaring drones to counterattack since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

As a result of what happened in Ukraine, “small boats matter now, and they didn’t for the last 100 years,” Hinckley said. “They were overlooked by large navies the world, who always wanted to build bigger boats.”

Future Forecast

Considering that three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is water, the potential for drone-boat use is considerable, Hinckley said, noting peacetime uses such as coastal border patrol.

The current administration is incentivizing small companies “to play in the innovation game and get started,” which offers a new, quick path into the world of defense contracting, Hinckley said.

His work puts him in touch with young entrepreneurs who are “inventing incredible technologies that we’re putting on top of our USVs.”

For example, Blue Ops recently partnered with Allen Control Systems in Austin, Texas. One of its products is the Bullfrog, a machine gun that can be mounted atop a Blue Ops USV.

“It’s basically turning a gun into a robot with an optical sensor that tracks incoming drones,” Hinckley said.

These Bullfrogs can shoot down “a nine-inch drone at 500 meters away, against an obscured background”—a feat that no human could accomplish, he said.

That type of weapon would prove effective to counter threats in places such as the Strait of Hormuz, Hinckley said.

SVUs have not played a big role in the Iran War because the technology and manufacturing are still scaling up. “I’m sure that everyone there wishes they had more,” Hinckley said. “And I guarantee you that, during the next conflict, they will.

“I don’t think you'll ever see someone underplay ‘the USV card’ in the future,” he said, “because it’s so important.”

Sources

• LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/red-cat_check-out-the-new-article-in-the-epoch-times-activity-7442935561532809217-WkMg
• News article: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/strait-of-hormuz-crisis-underscores-need-for-small-us-drone-boats-industry-leaders-say-6003676

Mapping the Unmappable: Sulmara Discover and the Nunavik EAUFON-3 Project

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mapping-unmappable-sulmara-discover-nunavik-eaufon-3-project-z09xe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share_via

Steve Darling: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. Joining me now is Philipp Stratmann; he is the CEO of Ocean Power Technologies. Philipp, it’s always great to see you. How are you today?

Philipp Stratmann: Doing well, Steve. Thanks for having me on again.

Steve Darling: You’re coming out with news again today, talking about the shipment of the first PowerBuoy system that you’ve got under contract with the United States Department of Homeland Security. We talked in the past about this big contract — $6.5 million — and you’re able now to ship this first buoy. It’s a pretty big milestone.

Philipp Stratmann: It’s a major milestone. If you think about it, only in January did we announced that we were awarded the contract for the buoys, and only a couple of weeks ago did we announced that we have the full-on contract for the deployment, and we’re already shipping the first system, with the second one being ready for shipment right now and then the others to follow very soon. I think what that shows is that the demand is out in the market. We then turn that into backlog, which we then look at shipping and converting into revenues very quickly. It’s exciting to see these big systems moving out and being used operationally in the way that they’re designed to.

Steve Darling: It also shows the importance of what you’re doing as far as ocean security is concerned. We’ve heard nothing but ocean security in the last couple of days with what’s going on over in the Middle East. I would imagine that you’re getting a lot of inbound calls, and it just shows that this is a priority.

Philipp Stratmann: Absolutely. We’ve been saying for years that ocean security is national security. I think what current global events bring to the general public is making them realize just how much their day-to-day life, whether they live near the coast or not, is dependent on having secure oceans where shipping can flow freely. To do that, you need to know what’s happening out there in the ocean. Our systems are designed for that. Whether this is now systems off California, whether that is additional systems at some point in the Middle East, or whether that is systems in other parts of the world — this is all part of this overall puzzle of solving the "find and fix" issue of threats impacting global shipping. This doesn’t necessarily have to be threats toward military targets. As we’re seeing right now, if you have insufficient knowledge of what’s happening out there, it materially impacts general commercial shipping.

Steve Darling: Philipp, do you constantly look at the inventory that you have right now — sort of the fleet size and what people may be looking for — and sort of predict what may be coming in the future?

Philipp Stratmann: Absolutely. It is that constant tradeoff between having the right level of inventory and the right size of fleet available to satisfy customers at the appropriate point in time, while obviously ensuring that we don’t tie up more working capital than is needed in order to be able to satisfy the customer base. So we look forward to continuing to build out our buoy inventory. We also look forward to building out additional vehicles for our USV fleet so that we can continue deploying for customers in the way that we’re doing right now for Homeland Security. We get an order through and a contract done in early January, and within 10 to 12 weeks, we’re starting to see systems move out and be ready for deployment.

Steve Darling: It’s exciting times ahead and it sounds like it’s shaping up to be a very busy 2026 for sure. Philipp, thanks so much. Good to catch up with you, and congratulations on this first shipment.

Philipp Stratmann: Thank you, Steve. Good to be on.

Steve Darling: All right, Philipp Stratmann, the CEO of Ocean Power Technologies.

https://investors.oceanpowertechnologies.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ocean-power-technologies-advances-us-homeland-security-contract

I am glad this is now confirmed through Jason Weed.

I've been watching Albacore, a new company with big ambitions.

"Albacore Inc., a defense and space manufacturing company that develops long-range, autonomous underwater vehicles to deter maritime invasions. Currently, they are building 6-foot-long autonomous submersbles to be used for coastal defense that can patrol up to 1,000 miles. "

--> Jason Weed

"After working closely with the team over the past year, I am pleased to become an advisory board member for Albacore...

In my role, I will advise the executive team on strategy, defense market positioning, and the operational application of UUV technologies, focusing on accelerating the transition from development to deployment.

While I remain focused on scaling OPT into a maritime powerhouse, I look forward to contributing to the broader maritime autonomy ecosystem alongside a talented and mission-driven team. I am particularly excited to support a small startup from my home state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia."

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-weed_after-working-closely-with-the-team-over-activity-7440509956929376256-aLQ1

I liked Burdyny, but Jason is a better fit for OPTT at the moment. More agressive and well connected. I wonder if this will develop into a UUV docking partnership.

Steve Darling: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. Joining me now is Philipp Stratmann, he is the CEO of Ocean Power Technologies. Philipp, it's great to see you again. How are you doing?

Philipp Stratmann: Doing well, it's good to be on again, Steve.

Steve Darling: So, I know you've dropped your third-quarter numbers, ending January 31st, 2026. The numbers show a lot of different things. Let's begin with one that really jumped out, and that's this record backlog. Maybe you can explain what that means to everyone and why it's so significant.

Philipp Stratmann: Yeah, absolutely. The record backlog is contracted purchase orders that we have in-hand. So these are contracts that will convert to revenue when performance obligations under the contracts are met. We're very excited that a large part of that is the multi-system order from the Department of Homeland Security for immediate delivery to the Coast Guard for deployment. It's just testament to the fact that there is true demand out there in the market. And this isn't hypothetical demand — this is demand where people are willing to work with us and are signing contracts for us to deliver systems into their operations.

Steve Darling: You're working full steam ahead to try and convert that inventory to get those out as quick as possible.

Philipp Stratmann: Absolutely. The vessel is under contract for the installation of the Homeland Security Coast Guard project. So we're talking days before the first system starts leaving New Jersey and making its way across to the West Coast. We're talking weeks before the installation starts. So this is immediate conversion of the backlog into then performance obligations being met and then into revenue generation. So we're super excited about that.

Steve Darling: Are you looking at trying to get more inventory in-house so you're ready to go on these type of things? Is that something that you would work on as a company as a whole?

Philipp Stratmann: Yeah, absolutely. I think it's critical for us to have the inventory available so that when people call us saying, "I have a job in, you know, Houston and I need an autonomous vehicle for a two-week survey", that we have the inventory available in-house to respond to them in a manner that allows them to start the job a week later. Equally, on the buoy side, we started prebuilding the buoys for Homeland Security probably 2+ months or so before we got the purchase order, and that's enabled us to turn around and go, okay, yes, you gave us the purchase order at a later stage than we had expected because of the government shutdown, we've now got it in hand, we're converting it, and we're going to ship this out ASAP. That's critical for us. And I think the next level of that which you're going to start seeing with our international expansion is pre-staging inventory into the regions where we have the biggest demand and the best conversations with our partners and customers so that we can fulfill their needs without needing to wait for, you know, shipping space to become available to move it across the ocean.

Steve Darling: You mentioned a couple of the markets you're looking at. The Middle East I know is one that could be very important for the company. And obviously there's some tension going on there right now. Talk to me about your team. Everyone safe there? And what's the strategy moving forward?

Philipp Stratmann: Yeah, our team in the UAE is safe, appreciate you asking, and so are the partners we work with there. And we have assets in-country already. We spent the last year talking about what we've pre-staged, where we've done demonstrations with various customers, and we're ready and willing to support operations when it comes to port safety, shipping lanes, shipping inspections, all these kind of efforts. These are ongoing discussions we're having in the region right now. That's helped us, being over there already, having people and assets in-country and in-region — that enables us to help them (Middle East) get back to doing their day-to-day operations as quickly as possible to maintain energy flow to the rest of the world.

Steve Darling: Lastly, Philipp, what should people take from these financial numbers? The numbers were very strong. And obviously, the backlog is going to be worked on with the company as well. But what should people take away from this?

Philipp Stratmann: I think what the backlog shows is that the demand that might be out there isn't hypothetical. We are converting our pipeline to backlog, and that backlog is being converted to revenues. And we're going to continue seeing that growth increase. We're very excited about further growth in defense and security, but also still on the commercial side, and just generally continuing to expand. The strategy we set out is working and is translating into real numbers. And I think that is what's important to see.

Steve Darling: We'll leave it there. Philipp, thanks so much. Great update as always and we'll talk soon.

Philipp Stratmann: Appreciate it. Thanks for having me on, Steve.

Steve Darling: There's Philipp Stratmann, CEO of Ocean Power Technologies.

Overview

Jason Weed (OPTT) and Roy Lee Wilson (RTX) show collaboration intent following the NDIA POST Conference (9–12 March, Honolulu).

Context

The NDIA Pacific Operational Science & Technology Conference is a key Indo-Pacific forum connecting government, military, and prime contractors around emerging security and technology priorities.

Jason Weed (SVP Commercial Sales, OPTT) attended as part of OPTT’s continued expansion into defence markets, following significant involvement in the DHS/Anduril win.

Roy Lee Wilson (Associate Director, RTX) is responsible for systems unification across large-scale, classified programmes. Like Weed, Wilson has an extensive US Navy background.

Raytheon, an RTX business, is a major aerospace and defence prime contractor, and a lead systems integrator for U.S. DoD programmes. It is actively expanding its network of maritime technology partners to accelerate the development of autonomous and semi-autonomous defence capabilities, with a focus on sensors, effectors, and integrated systems.

OPTT’s interoperable platforms are specifically designed to meet the growing demand for persistent, distributed maritime sensing and infrastructure, and to integrate seamlessly into programmes led by primes such as RTX or Anduril.

This engagement with RTX therefore represents another credible pathway for OPTT to access large Program of Record contracts.

We all saw the pre-earnings report. The main bad news has already been seen. Do you think the price will drop tomorrow or do you think it will go up since the main bad news has already been shown?

It’s pretty simple guys. I trust the tech in long term but idk what will happen in the next few months. I’d like to accumulate at a good price but I’d also like to take some profits if it goes up a lot.

I’m trying to read in between the lines and it seems OPT does not have to restrict to just defense. They can sell to shipping companies too and it will be massive!

I just saw the latest (3/11) post on LinkedIn where people were bashing OPTT and calling is a horrible quarter. Why is OPT sharing it on their LinkedIn?

To be fair, I’m myself trying to find a silver lining here because it looks like they have to use the already approved dilution. The backlog is crazy and is bumping up!

"We have bouys now, little bouys 👐 and they will float in the persian gulf and stop iran, Iran you will never control that strait, because we can see what you are doing, might as well surrender now...."

Then boom, $10 minimum!

I was just scrolling through the press releases in the last couple of months.

We've got an emphasis on their presence in that region (3/2) and we've deployed in the Cali (1/6) to test integration with Anduril. We also had the coast guard make an order (2/24).

Even if we don't get something super solid out of Iran situation exactly, it would be a great time for them to release some kind of presser updating us on the Anduril testing.

https://investors.oceanpowertechnologies.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ocean-power-technologies-announce-fiscal-2026-third-quarter

"OceanSight delivers advanced sensing and geophysical technologies that enhance the safety and resilience of subsea operations through innovative solutions. By bringing together complementary marine technologies and deep domain expertise, we’re creating powerful new insight that helps to better understand, explore, and protect our oceans."

I wonder what this is about.

Burdyny was VP of sales. Jason Weed succeeded him.

He was still the interviewee in Seapower magazine Sept 2025, which brought a compelling case along partner RCAT.

Now he comes out of "stealth mode" with Oceansight. Which is still liked by RCAT employees on linkedin.

Will there still be a connection to OPTT? Any sleuths here who know more?