Held off the coast of Hawaii in July, RIMPAC 2026 brought together 34 nations and more than 25,000 personnel to strengthen joint readiness and interoperability among participating nations. As part of an AUKUS Pillar II undersea warfare activity, L3Harris' Rock Lobster deployable underwater acoustic communication relay system was successfully tested alongside U.S. Navy capabilities, demonstrating how allied underwater acoustic communications technologies can work together seamlessly beneath the surface.
That kind of interoperability is harder to achieve than it sounds. Relaying command-and-control information in the underwater domain is one of the most persistent challenges in modern naval operations, growing more complex as autonomous systems take on a larger role in maritime missions.
Developed by the L3Harris Maritime team in Australia in collaboration with the Royal Australian Navy and the Defence Science and Technology Group, Rock Lobster has been tested and refined through exercises including Autonomous Warrior, the Maritime Innovation Challenge and the Maritime Big Play series. At RIMPAC 2026, it operated alongside Australia's Lightfish uncrewed surface vessel from Seasat.
The integration of Lightfish served as another example of L3Harris’ commitment to partner with companies across the defence technology ecosystem to deliver the advanced solutions that today’s threat environment demands. L3Harris’ relationship with Seasats was created through a strategic partnership with venture capital firm Shield Capital to accelerate emerging defence and commercial technologies into the hands of the warfighter.
"Interoperability doesn't happen by accident," said Nino DiCosmo, President, Maritime, Space & Mission Systems, L3Harris. "It takes years of collaboration, testing and refinement with our partners. RIMPAC 2026 is a reflection of that work and a strong signal of where AUKUS undersea capability is headed."
"Interoperability doesn't happen by accident," said Nino DiCosmo, President, Maritime, Space & Mission Systems, L3Harris. "It takes years of collaboration, testing and refinement with our partners. RIMPAC 2026 is a reflection of that work and a strong signal of where AUKUS undersea capability is headed."
The results reinforce the goals of AUKUS Pillar II, which aims to rapidly develop and field advanced capabilities across partner nations to detect, deter and respond to maritime threats.
L3Harris has 15 locations across Australia employing more than 550 people, with 30% of the workforce having served in the Australian Defence Force. The company provides mission systems, communication systems and dedicated support services to the Royal Australian Air Force, Navy and Army across all domains.
