Elbit expands into underwater autonomy with acquisition of Canadian robotics company
The Israeli defense group has acquired International Submarine Engineering, a developer of autonomous underwater vehicles with more than 50 years of experience. The deal adds technology for surveillance, mine clearance and anti-submarine operations, although its financial terms were not disclosed.
Elbit Systems has completed the acquisition of International Submarine Engineering (ISE), a Canadian developer of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated systems, as the Israeli defense group expands its portfolio of unmanned technologies into the underwater domain.
The companies did not disclose a purchase price, describing the amount as not material to Elbit. The acquisition gives Elbit access to a company with more than five decades of experience in subsea robotics and a track record of delivering more than 250 underwater vehicles to customers in over 20 countries.
Based in the Vancouver area, ISE develops and manufactures autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, robotics and computer control systems. Elbit said the addition is intended to strengthen its capabilities in underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare.
The acquisition extends Elbit’s push to integrate autonomous platforms across multiple operational environments. The company already develops unmanned surface vessels, naval command-and-control systems, sonar and electro-optical sensors, communications and electronic warfare technologies. Adding underwater vehicles expands the range of platforms it can offer naval customers, from systems operating on the sea’s surface to those designed to carry out missions below it.
The potential military applications include locating underwater threats, surveying maritime areas and supporting mine-clearance operations. Autonomous and remotely operated systems can also perform tasks that would otherwise require crewed platforms or place personnel in hazardous environments. The announcement, however, did not specify which ISE systems Elbit plans to deploy, identify any new customers or disclose a timetable for integrating the technology into its existing products.
Elbit has been developing its naval autonomy business for years. Its Seagull unmanned surface vessel, introduced in 2017, was designed to conduct patrol and reconnaissance missions, locate and neutralize sea mines, and support anti-submarine operations. In 2021, the company announced its first sale of the system to a foreign military, an undisclosed customer in the Asia-Pacific region.
The company has also been expanding its autonomy capabilities beyond the maritime sector. In May, Elbit acquired Bluewhite, an Israeli developer of autonomous vehicle technology originally developed for agricultural operations and subsequently adapted for defense-related environments. That transaction added technology for converting conventional vehicles into autonomous platforms and managing fleets remotely.
The ISE acquisition follows a similar strategic direction, bringing specialized technology into Elbit’s broader defense portfolio rather than building every capability internally. The company has positioned its naval business around integrated systems that combine platforms, sensors, communications and mission software.
“This acquisition marks another milestone in Elbit Systems’ strategy to expand its offerings in the naval domain,” said Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, Elbit’s president and CEO. He added that ISE’s underwater technologies would complement the company’s existing capabilities in naval electronic warfare, autonomous systems, precision munitions and maritime mission systems.
