Two-year agreement appoints C2C as ACUA Ocean's representative for all commercial and defence opportunities across India
Plymouth, UK and Bengaluru, India - 17th April 2026 - ACUA Ocean Limited, a UK-based developer of autonomous uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and maritime technology, and C2C Advanced Systems Limited, an India-based defence and advanced systems company, today announced the signing of a Partnership Agreement to jointly develop and grow the market for ACUA's technologies across India.Under the two-year agreement, C2C has been appointed as ACUA's representative and coordination partner in India, covering all commercial opportunities including the promotion, integration, localisation, and licensing of ACUA Ocean solutions. These encompass ACUA's full portfolio of autonomous surface vessels, mission modules, control software, and associated systems, including the Pioneer Mk2 USV.C2C will lead business development, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement across India's defence, maritime, security, and offshore sectors, including government entities, armed forces, and public sector undertakings. "India represents a significant and growing opportunity for advanced uncrewed maritime systems. Partnering with C2C gives us an experienced and well-connected representative who understands the unique requirements of India's defence and maritime landscape. We look forward to building a strong, long-term presence in the region together."— Neil Tinmouth, CEO, ACUA Ocean LimitedThe agreement includes provisions supporting "Make in India" localisation requirements and the potential for future joint ventures or consortium structures as specific opportunities require. Commercial terms for each engagement will be agreed on a per-opportunity basis, ensuring flexibility to meet varying customer and procurement requirements.ACUA Ocean's uncrewed platforms are designed for applications including hydrographic survey, environmental monitoring, offshore commercial IRM, maritime security, and defence missions — sectors where India has signalled increasing interest in autonomous and indigenous technologies.
The Pioneer Mk2, a medium USV, builds on the proven Pioneer-class SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) design, incorporating enhanced system redundancy, speed, and endurance. The vessel can operate for over 50 days at 4 knots in diesel-electric configuration or for over 100 days when station keeping. The modular, 20ft ISO-dimension payload bay supports a 7,000 kg payload capacity, enabling rapid reconfiguration for ISR and ASW, and persistent maritime domain awareness for C-UAS.