Elbit Systems Acquired Cananda-based International Submarine Engineering (ISE)

22 October, 2026

With more than 50 years of experience in subsea robotics, ISE has delivered over 250 underwater vehicles to customers in more than 20 countries worldwide

Photo above: Explorer AUV underwater system

Elbit Systems Ltd. has completed the acquisition of International Submarine Engineering Ltd. (ISE), a Canada-based company specializing in advanced autonomous underwater and remotely operated systems for the maritime domain. The acquisition was completed for a purchase price that is not material to Elbit Systems.

Headquartered in the Vancouver area, ISE is a high-technology company engaged in the development and manufacture of undersea vehicles, including Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), as well as computer control systems and robotics. With more than 50 years of experience in subsea robotics, ISE has delivered over 250 underwater vehicles to customers in more than 20 countries worldwide.

ISE provides a complete family of underwater systems: The Explorer AUV is a modular, long-range platform designed for mine countermeasure, hydrographic surveying, pipeline and cable inspection, environmental monitoring, and research and development. Available in depth-rated configurations in 1000 m, 3000 m, and 6000 m, Explorer features a modular payload system that supports a variety of sensors, including side-scan sonar, multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profilers, CTD instruments, cameras, and chemical sensors.

Theseus AUV was developed for the Canadian Department of National Defence to demonstrate long-range autonomous operations beneath Arctic ice. The program culminated in the successful deployment of multiple 220 km fibre-optic cables beneath a 2.5 m thick ice pack in water depths of up to 600 m, setting an AUV endurance record of more than 60 hours of continuous under-ice operation.

The ISE Mine Countermeasure (MCM) solutions include the Dorado Autonomous Tow Vehicle, Aurora Sonar Towfish, Explorer AUV, and Trailblazer Mine Countermeasure ROV. Dorado is a high-speed, semi-submersible platform developed for mine countermeasure operations and subsea survey applications. Originally designed for the Canadian Department of National Defence, the system tows a sonar towfish at speeds of up to 12 knots and depths of 200 m, delivering high-quality seabed imagery for mine detection and classification.

Elbit Systems explained that The addition of ISE’s underwater autonomous technologies is intended to expand Elbit Systems’ capabilities in underwater Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Mine Counter Measures (MCM) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), further strengthening the Company’s end-to-end maritime offering.

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Posted in: Aerospace & Defense , News

Posted in tags: Elbit