Voyage Analyst

Sofar Ocean deploys Spotter buoys during Exercise Balikatan 2026. * 14 July 2026 US Army Spc. Ernest Useinov, a UH-60 helicopter repairer serving as a crew chief assigned to Task Force Saber, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, holds an ocean buoy sensor while flying over open water as part of Exercise Balikatan 2026 over the Luzon Strait, Philippines, April 28, 2026. (Image credit: Sgt. Olivia Cowart, US Army, The appearance of US Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement) Exercise Balikatan 2026 brought together US, Philippine, Australian, and Japanese forces across the Philippine archipelago to train in amphibious operations, maritime strike, and littoral defense. Sofar Ocean participated as an industry partner, working with USINDOPACOM Science and Technology division, US Army Task Force Saber, and US Marine Corps 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) to deploy Spotters in support of complex amphibious operations during the exercise, including the movement of NMESIS and HIMARS systems across the archipelago. Real-Time ocean data in a data-sparse environment. On April 28, 2026, two UH-60 Black Hawk aircrews from Task Force Saber, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, air-deployed Spotters into the Luzon Strait. The deployment was coordinated through the USINDOPACOM Science and Technology Division, integrating real-time ocean intelligence directly into the exercise. Spotter measures waves, temperature, wind, and barometric pressure and delivers that data in real time to the 3rd MLR to inform critical decision-making during amphibious operations. Enabling operational decision-making. Spotter data was fed directly into command decision-making during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations (MKTSO) event, which ran from April 20 to May 5. Forces conducted air assault, amphibious landing, airfield seizure, reconnaissance, and ground refueling operations across the archipelago. During that event, data from Spotter was used to inform commanders of ocean surface conditions during their decision-making processes. Specifically, it advised the complex logistical movements of the 3rd MLR's Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and the US Army's M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to critical locations, furthering the 3rd MLR's ability to support combined and joint operations. The challenge of island environments. David Ramsaur, Sofar Ocean's technical representative, oversaw the deployment, trained UH-60 crew chiefs on proper air-deployment procedures, and flew aboard the mission to ensure successful execution. He worked with the 3rd MLR to determine optimal placement for data collection and to account for post-deployment drift, then compiled and submitted that information to Task Force Saber through an air mission request. "One of the biggest environmental challenges in deploying buoys between islands is predicting how the buoy will drift once it is in the water. In these environments, local currents, wind patterns, sea state, and the geography of the surrounding islands can all influence movement in ways that are difficult to model precisely ahead of time," said David Ramsaur, Sofar Ocean industry partner technical representative. Part of a larger, integrated operation. The Spotter deployment was one piece of a much larger exercise. Balikatan 2026 brought together a multinational force including the Philippines, US, and five allied and partner nations, operating across air, land, and sea. Together, they coordinated strikes, logistics, and intelligence collection across vast distances and complex island geography. That level of multinational coordination depends on shared situational awareness. Real-time ocean data from Spotter contributed to the common operating picture that commanders across services and nations were working from, informing not just where assets could move, but when and how. What this demonstrates. Balikatan 2026 showed that real-time ocean intelligence is a requirement for modern littoral operations. Moving weapon systems across open water, timing amphibious landings, and coordinating multinational forces across an archipelago all depend on knowing what the sea is actually doing in the moment. Air-deployed, rapidly positioned, and feeding live data to commanders in the field, Spotter proved its value as an operational tool during the most expansive iteration of Balikatan to date. More in Defense & Security

Sofar Ocean extends Spotter Platform to deep water with new USV. * 15 April 2026 Spotter Scout, a rugged, solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicle. (Image credit: Sofar Ocean) Sofar Ocean, the leading ocean intelligence platform, has launched Spotter Scout, a rugged, solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) that enables persistent ocean sensing in remote and deep-water locations. Remote ocean monitoring is typically expensive and complex. Traditional mooring systems are hard to deploy, maintain, and relocate, and often cost more than the sensors they support. This makes them difficult to justify for shorter-term deployments. Spotter Scout removes these constraints. The durable USV holds position in deep water, transits between locations on command, and can return home after six or more months unattended. While deployed, it collects the same surface and subsurface data trusted by thousands of Spotter Platform users worldwide and sends every observation to the Spotter Dashboard and API in real time. "Spotter Scout is an exciting step in the evolution of the Spotter Platform, while extending the same scalability philosophy," said Tim Janssen, Co-Founder and CEO of Sofar. "Effectively it delivers a Spotter with position control at your fingertips. This extends our ability to build networks that support new missions and water depths where mooring or drifting is not effective." Spotter Scout is engineered for long-term performance in the harshest ocean conditions. Its flooded hull has no sealed air volume to breach, keeping it operational in sea states 7 and 8. A keel-mounted 2kWh battery provides the ballast needed to self-right in extreme conditions and, paired with a 340w solar array, ensures continuous operation. Spotter Scout supports cellular, Iridium, and Starlink connectivity, enabling reliable communication from nearshore to the open ocean. If a project's needs change, an operator can reposition it with a simple browser-based command sent via desktop or mobile. Whereas most USVs are priced for single-asset deployments, Spotter Scout is priced for networks. An operator can manage dozens of units from a single Spotter Dashboard, shifting the question from, "Where should I place my one monitoring system?" to "How should I design a network to cover this entire area?" Spotter Scout was built by Online Oceans, a UK-based marine robotics company. "We're excited to be partnering with Sofar to combine our respective technologies into a powerful new ocean monitoring capability," said George Morton, Co-Founder & CEO of Online Oceans. "By integrating Sofar's proven sensing and data infrastructure with Online Oceans' long-endurance autonomous surface platform, Scout, we can enable persistent, scalable access to ocean data in places that have traditionally been difficult or expensive to reach. It's a great example of how complementary technologies can unlock new ways to observe and understand the ocean." Organizations interested in Spotter Scout are encouraged to submit an interest form or visit the Spotter Scout webpage.

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google NewsMaritime shipping is a key player in the global energy transition but has been slow to adapt. As pressure ramps up, carriers are prioritizing solutions that drive emissions reductions today while setting them up for future success.Taking Immediate Action to Reduce Maritime EmissionsThe shipping industry’s monumental impact on global emissions means the planet has much to gain through its efficiencies. The UN International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2023 GHG Strategy currently calls for a reduction in the carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40% on average by 2030; however, in 2022, emissions from international shipping grew by 5%, returning to 2017-2018 levels.While adoption of longer-term decarbonization solutions like alternative fuels and propulsion is the end goal, the time pressure applied by the IMO’s targets combined with the ongoing climate crisis necessitates immediate action. Voyage optimization offers a powerful solution to improve efficiency, minimize fuel consumption, and reduce vessel emissions today.Captains and shoreside operators use voyage optimization platforms to access route and speed guidance and stay on the most efficient path to port. The best platforms pay for themselves in time and fuel savings — but not all solutions are created equal.Closing the Ocean Data Gap for Voyage OptimizationOne of the biggest barriers to effective voyage optimization is a lack of real-time ocean data