Posted on June 18, 2025
In close collaboration with leading sensor technology partners, Royal IHC has demonstrated an innovative 4-track seabed crawler at SeaSEC 2025 — contributing to the ongoing development of seabed security capabilities.
The live demonstration at this key event in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, offered a practical look at emerging technology in this field, but also highlighting the growing urgency and international cooperation required to protect the North Sea seabed.
A mission beneath the surface
As global reliance on subsea infrastructure increases — from data cables to energy pipelines — so too does the need to protect it. Underwater sabotage, unmapped mines, and unauthorised activity all pose real risks to critical systems.
To respond to these challenges, Royal IHC, is developing a next-generation 4-track seabed crawler. Designed to operate in challenging shallow-water environments, the crawler delivers stability, mobility and relevant data, even in rough conditions. This technology is built to support inspection, monitoring, maintenance and mine countermeasure (MCM) operations — all without compromise.
SeaSEC: where innovation meets action
Held from 14–21 May at Campus@Sea in Scheveningen, the SeaSEC Challenge Weeks brought together representatives from European navies, defence organisations, and industry leaders.
Backed by the navies of the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, SeaSEC offered a real-world stage for live trials, collaboration and forward-looking discussion.
The crawler, equipped with a suite of advanced sensors from our partners ELWAVE, CSignum, i2S Orphie, and Teledyne Marine, was demonstrated in action. The trials provided valuable insights that will guide the next phase of development, particularly in areas such as:
- Achieving stable and reliable movement across varying seabed conditions.
- Optimising real-time data collection through integrated multi-sensor platforms.
- Enhancing our toolbox for anomaly detection and MCM (mine counter measures) operations.
Laying the foundations: E=MCM development begins
SeaSEC 2025 marked the start of a new phase: the crawler will be further developed within the E=MCM project — a 36-month, EU- and government-funded programme uniting 11 European countries and 22 key partners. Together, we aim to transform Europe’s approach to mine countermeasures and underwater threat detection.
Lessons learned during the SeaSEC trials are already being used to improve the next generation of the crawler, with a focus on greater autonomy, advanced sensors, and scalable deployment.
One crawler. Four tracks. Countless insights — all in service of seabed security!
Hubert van Strien – Business developer
Looking ahead
SeaSEC 2025 underscored the critical role seabed security will play in future defence and infrastructure strategies. The event generated significant interest across the European defence community and highlighted the importance of cross-sector innovation.
Royal IHC is proud to be at the forefront of this movement — helping to shape the future of underwater security, one track at a time.
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