COVE, the Dartmouth-based marine technology hub, has launched a new at-sea testing capability designed to support the development of underwater sensing and defence-related marine technologies.

The containerized system will allow researchers and companies to conduct trials of next-generation towed-array devices without using Royal Canadian Navy vessels. According to a press release on Thursday, the unit can be installed on a variety of commercial and research ships, enabling more frequent testing in different marine conditions.

The federal government is committing $9.7 million for the project to support equipment, testing, and related research activities.

“Canada’s marine and defence innovation ecosystem is built on collaboration, expertise, and ambition,” said COVE Chief Executive Melanie Nadeau in the statement. “This project showcases the power of partnership between industry, government, and research leaders to advance critical underwater sensing and intelligence technologies.”

The testing platform is being developed in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Canada, Ultra Maritime Canada, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The press release said the initiative is intended to advance dual-use technologies that can be applied in both defence and commercial sectors, including long-range surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.

Ultra Maritime plans to supply its Sea Tracker system, which can be integrated with a range of active and passive towed sensors. Defence Research and Development Canada will use the system to support experimentation and test concepts for anti-submarine warfare.

COVE has recently been selected as a Canadian accelerator site for NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic and is participating in a new defence innovation hub in Halifax. Federal officials say the new testing system will contribute to research collaborations, national security objectives, and technology commercialization opportunities for Canadian companies.