Smart Spanish buoys for the protection of critical infrastructure and maritime security

Spanish technology companies SAES and Satlink have successfully validated their 'Ocean Sentinel' buoys for underwater surveillance during the REPMUS 2025 international exercises, organized by NATO in Portuguese waters.

The REPMUS exercises (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Unmanned Systems) bring together allied navies, industry, and research centers every year to showcase the latest technological developments for maritime operations, with a special focus on interoperability, command, and control.

The Ocean Sentinel system includes passive hydrophones, devices that act like microphones underwater and capture sounds in the marine environment, allowing the identification of threats such as surface vessels or unmanned vehicles.

Using this data, immediate alerts can be generated thanks to edge computing technology. These alerts can also be configured remotely according to the characteristics of each mission. Finally, satellite connectivity helps speed up the transmission of alerts regardless of geographic location.

These features make 'Ocean Sentinel' an "ideal" solution for the protection of critical infrastructure such as ports and maritime facilities, as well as for the surveillance of strategic areas like straits or coastal access points, according to a statement from Satlink.

Furthermore, Satlink's smart buoys have managed to collect up to 225 tons of floating marine waste over two years and help regenerate beaches thanks to the measurement of sediment on the seabed. Finally, Satlink's tool participated in the 'SelecTuna' project, which aimed to optimize target species captures and improve sustainable exploitation.