Looking to expand its footprint in unmanned maritime systems, Boeing [BA] said Dec. 6 that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Liquid Robotics, the developer of the Wave Glider, a wave- and solar-powered ocean robot.

Boeing and Liquid Robotics have already collaborated on the Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft (SHARC), a Wave Glider variant that connects air- and space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to subsurface crafts.

Graphic Illustration representing the Boeing-Liquid Robotics team’s partnership to advance unmanned ocean systems for integrated defense solutions. Image: Liquid Robotics
Graphic Illustration representing the Boeing-Liquid Robotics team’s partnership to advance unmanned ocean systems for integrated defense solutions.
Image: Liquid Robotics

Liquid Robotics, which has about 100 employees in California and Hawaii, will become a Boeing subsidiary reporting to Kory Mathews, vice president of autonomous systems for Boeing Defense, Space & Security.