The Maritime Geospatial Warfare Unit (MGWU) has completed a comprehensive force generation (FORGEN) activity, bringing together personnel from the unit's outstations in Cairns, Sydney and Nowra.
The activity commenced with Air Force support to move personnel into Sydney via military air, followed by participation in the Anzac Day march through the Sydney CBD.
This marked MGWU's first parade as a unit, reinforcing a shared identity and connection to service heritage.
Training began with a scenario-based planning brief aligned to the 2026 National Defence Strategy, setting the conditions for a two-week operational activity.
The majority of personnel then deployed to the HMAS Penguin annex at Pittwater to conduct in-field operations.
Operating in a deliberately 'safe-to-fail' environment, personnel were encouraged to trial, test and think creatively against proven hydrographic survey techniques and emerging capabilities, which included fly-away survey kits, Sonobot uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), and the REMUS and Gavia autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
The activity enabled the Deployable Shallow-water Survey Team (DSST) and Deployable Geospatial Survey Team (DGST) members to refine interoperable geospatial data collection in a realistic scenario.
'The evolving nature of the battlespace demands continuous advancement in our military hydrographic practices.'
Lieutenant Commander Mathew Nichols highlighted the growing capability gains achieved, particularly in autonomous systems.
"DSST's confidence with autonomous systems such as the REMUS 100S, Gavia AUV and Sonobot significantly increased during the activity," he said.
"Young sailors were able to demonstrate their ability to plan and execute autonomous missions while remaining clear of simulated threats, in both day and night conditions."
These missions generated significant volumes of data, directly enhancing tactical decision-making and understanding of the geospatial intelligence available.
"Autonomous missions produced terabytes of data, enabling DSST to identify undersea infrastructure and support navigational freedom of manoeuvre," Lieutenant Commander Nichols said.
"Importantly, this data was converted into decision-ready products for command, while AUV-collected oceanographic data was integrated into broader geospatial outputs."
Lieutenant Ayla Williams, of DGST, highlighted the value of the activity in validating capability and strengthening team performance as a parallel effort alongside DSST.
"The evolving nature of the battlespace demands continuous advancement in our military hydrographic practices," Lieutenant Williams said.
"Observing how DSST approach and solve challenges has enabled DGST to adopt alternative problem-solving methods.
"While our approaches to understanding the water column and seabed differ, we ultimately operate in the same environment, and it has been highly valuable to see their capability in action.
"We are now exploring the development of in-house solutions to support the deployment of both DSST and DGST assets across multiple platforms in a modular, scalable package. This includes an internal trials program for Jet RHIB [rigid-hulled inflatable boat] survey systems employment."
'Young sailors were able to demonstrate their ability to plan and execute autonomous missions while remaining clear of simulated threats, in both day and night conditions.'
The activity also strengthened key stakeholder engagement, with contributions from the Mine Warfare, Diving and Geospatial Force, the Maritime Geospatial Training College and the newly created Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit.
Midway through the activity, personnel returned to Penguin for the inaugural MGWU luncheon, followed by a 'blue sky day' focusing on mental health, leadership engagement and future capability development.
An address from Director General Maritime Geospatial and Hydrographer of Australia Commodore Darryn Mullins reinforced workforce planning priorities and capability direction.
The second week introduced an elevated threat scenario, requiring complex survey and tasking upon redeployment.
The activity ended with a deliberate nil-communications withdrawal back to Penguin, testing coordination, resilience and tactical mission command.
Beyond technical proficiency, the activity demonstrated the adaptability of MGWU personnel.
Members were challenged not only in their hydrographic and geospatial expertise, but also across broader defence competencies, highlighting resilience, teamwork and the ability to operate effectively in dynamic and demanding environments.
