Spain’s Indra announced the launch of the European Smart Maritime and Underwater Guardian (SMAUG) research and development initiative (RDI) on 13 February 2025 as part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme.
The company is heading a consortium of entities from seven European countries that will work together to improve the underwater detection of threats and illicit trafficking.
Indra noted in a press release that, with over 80% of world trade conducted by sea, the continuous movement of vessels requires port security processes to be robust and effective, especially for monitoring and detecting legal and illegal activities at ports, in coastal areas and on borders. The company further noted that current geopolitical tensions are also turning the bottom of the oceans into sensitive terrain that needs to be protected, with Russian and Chinese vessels suspected of sabotaging critical underwater infrastructure (CUI) in European waters.
Within this context, the SMAUG project seeks to detect, track and monitor potentially illegal and harmful movements and products entering EU ports and coasts by means of an integrated system based on Indra’s iSIM solution, which combines security management, advanced underwater detection systems and surveillance vessels.
More specifically, underwater threats are detected and located using four main methods. The first is acoustic detection, in which a series of hydrophones listen for sounds emitted by small autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Secondly, a sonar performs a quick scan of the hull and the bottom of the harbour. The third method of underwater detection is high-resolution sonar inspection, which is used to inspect objects in water with poor visibility. Finally, collective autonomous location is employed, whereby a co-ordinated swarm of AUVs act co-operatively.
These systems, supported by artificial intelligence (AI), can more effectively detect unlawful and dangerous goods and/or threats hidden beneath the surface of the water. SMAUG will thus make a significant contribution to maritime security by improving the protection of infrastructures and vessels and the detection of vessels, including narco-submarines suspected drug-smuggling activities.
“As the leader of the SMAUG project, Indra brings its expertise in developing advanced algorithms for processing underwater sound and images, applying artificial intelligence for early detection of objects and threats,” the company stated. “Additionally, it contributes its capabilities in the field of security for port infrastructure and maritime transport, providing solutions that enhance protection in complex maritime environments. Its iSIM solution acts as a core for integration and analysis, unifying and processing data from physical security systems such as hydrophones, underwater scanners, drone swarms and autonomous vehicles, along with satellite surveillance systems. It also takes information from port management systems, enabling a global and interoperable view that optimises security, operational efficiency and real-time decision-making.”
Juan Román Martínez, the head of Indra’s SMAUG initiative, emphasised that the project “means significant progress in maritime security, as it reinforces safety and promotes international co-operation in the fight against illicit activities in the maritime environment”.
With a budget of almost EUR 6 million, the SMAUG RDI project involves a highly experienced consortium consisting of 22 partners, including universities, research centres, small/medium enterprises, law enforcement agencies, public authorities, coast and border guards and private organisations from seven EU countries: Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway and Spain.
SMAUG is being prepared to achieve interoperability with the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) in order to help create a political, cultural, legal and technical environment that allows exchanges of information between the surveillance systems of the member states of the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA). Thus, all of the authorities from the different sectors involved in port and maritime settings could have access to any additional classified and unclassified information required to perform missions at sea.
