Vatn Systems Wins DIU Mine Countermeasure Prize
News related to:Vatn Systems · 1 min read
BRISTOL, R.I., Oct. 1, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has recognized Vatn Systems as a winner of its Mine Countermeasure Modernization Prize Challenge, a competition aimed at identifying modular, communication-resilient technology capable of conducting unmanned naval mine countermeasures. The prize challenge, which opened in May 2026, sought to identify solutions that could reacquire and neutralize underwater mine threats under real-world operational conditions.
Vatn Systems, a leading defense technology company that builds autonomous underwater vehicles for the U.S. military, allied nations, and commercial customers, successfully competed in the Near Surface and Volume Mine Engage Test and Evaluation segment of the prize challenge. The company’s SIGURD system, built on the Skelmir S6 platform, demonstrated its ability to autonomously detect, reacquire, and neutralize mine threats in a manner consistent with how operators would encounter them in the field. This performance earned Vatn Systems recognition as one of the top-performing solutions.
Vatn Systems launched SIGURD in July 2026, a system that pairs autonomous detection with terminal engagement. The company configured its Skelmir S6 platform into a dedicated mine countermeasures system in a matter of weeks. The SIGURD system is designed, tested, and verified by a team of former Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians. The company’s win in DIU’s challenge points to growing government interest in affordable, rapidly fieldable mine countermeasures capability that keeps warfighters at safe standoff distances.
Founded in 2023 by a team of maritime experts and military leaders, Vatn Systems is on a mission to be the next underwater defense prime in a world where autonomous systems dominate naval battlefields. The company’s SIGURD system is designed to be modular, communication-resilient, and rapidly fieldable, making it a valuable asset for the U.S. military, allied nations, and commercial customers alike.