BeeX Autonomous Underwater Drones Win DIU and U.S. Navy Mine Countermeasures Modernization Prize Challenge

SINGAPORE, October 2, 2026 — BeeX, a Singapore-based designer, developer, and operator of autonomous underwater drones, has been named a winner of the Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Modernization Prize Challenge, run by the U.S. Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU) and the U.S. Navy.

The challenge asked vendors of mature commercial technology to reacquire and neutralize mine threats in the water column using modular, communication-resilient, and rapidly fieldable uncrewed systems. BeeX's autonomous drones were evaluated across bottom​ ​and volume mine neutralization missions. Following the evaluation, BeeX received a prize award​​ and ​​is now advancing toward integration with the U.S. Navy.​ ​

Accelerating the MCM Kill Chain

During the challenge, BeeX's drones demonstrated the reacquisition and neutralization of diverse underwater mine threats from a safe standoff distance, and operated independently of a dedicated MCM platform.

Successful neutralizations demonstrated a ​​reacquire-to-engage​​​​​​ kill chain over high-latency, low bandwidth, over-the-horizon links.  

The drones also reacquired moored mines untethered, demonstrating the reliability of BeeX’s autonomous acoustic and perception stack.

Capability of the Autonomous Platforms

Where traditional Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) depend on manual remote control and constant operator input, BeeX's autonomous platforms are built for precise untethered and tethered operations. In both modes, the autonomy stack reliably reacquires and localizes mine-like contacts across search areas, using the drone's sensor suite to its full extent rather than requiring an operator to actively pilot the mission while watching a video feed.  

Dual-Use Capability from Commercial Roots

BeeX's defense capabilities build on its track record in commercial and offshore operations. The drones' autonomy stack is trained on 14 years of proprietary operational data, which lets the system detect anomalies reliably and quickly.

"Our drones were initially built for demanding commercial offshore work, which pushed our engineering teams to design intelligent, stable platforms that can handle rough underwater conditions. That design has carried over directly to defense missions," said Grace Chia, CEO and Co-founder of BeeX. "As underwater security becomes a growing strategic priority, we look forward to giving defense agencies a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective way to counter mine threats while keeping crews out of harm's way."

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ABOUT BEEX

BeeX designs, deploys, and operates autonomous underwater drones for defense, offshore energy, and coastal infrastructure. Its drones have been commercially deployed across Asia and Europe, and procured by Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).  

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Catherine Siao, Marketing & Brand Manager, BeeX

marketing@beex.sg  

General inquiries: hello@beex.sg