May 12 2005
Battelle announced today the acquisition of Bluefin Robotics Corporation of Cambridge, MA, a world leader in the development of autonomous underwater vehicles.
Bluefin has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Battelle and will retain its current management team. Although terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Stephen E. Kelly, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Battelle's National Security Division, acknowledged that the acquisition represents a major commitment for Battelle to this strategically important field.
Today, Bluefin develops advanced underwater vehicles for such diverse applications as naval mine warfare and other battlespace missions; offshore oil and gas seafloor surveys, including those for deep-ocean installations; and scientific exploration and investigation of the oceans.
Bluefin is considered a world leader in designing, building and operating autonomous underwater vehicles. Key challenges in this field are keeping the vehicles small and rugged, while at the same time making them flexible, quiet, and efficient. Underwater Magazine called Bluefin's Bluefin-21, "a study in manufacturing and design elegance."
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