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NATO DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service enables first R&D contract between Allies and industry
21 April 2026
3 MIN READ
HonuWorx’s Loggerhead uncrewed system (graphic provided by HonuWorx)
NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), on behalf of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), has awarded a research and development (R&D) contract to HonuWorx, a UK‑based technology company specialising in undersea robotics systems. This marks the first R&D contract awarded on behalf of a NATO Ally under NATO DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service.
Developing undersea capabilities
Under the new R&D contract, HonuWorx will conduct an engineering study to extend the operating depth of its undersea systems. The work will include development of a high-fidelity simulation suite to demonstrate mission potential in challenging operational environments, reducing technical risk and supporting the initial steps toward a deployable system.
“Autonomous subsea systems are evolving from data collection platforms toward the delivery of real capability, with the potential to change how sensitive seabed operations are conducted. This work focuses on extending that capability into deeper environments while meeting specific operational requirements, and represents a further step toward operational deployment,” said Lee Wilson, CEO of HonuWorx.
“HonuWorx’s proposed system, initially envisioned to support the offshore oil industry, holds the potential to allow Canadian defence research to effectively and efficiently operate and maintain future, deepwater power and data infrastructure and support the testing of emerging deep-sea technologies,” said Brian May, Section Head for Scientific and Engineering Trials at the Atlantic Research Centre of DRDC.
DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service
The contract follows DRDC’s decision to engage DIANA and its Rapid Adoption Service to identify a DIANA innovator capable of addressing a Canadian capability need.
The Rapid Adoption Service enables NATO Allies and NATO bodies to co‑develop, prototype, acquire and deploy innovative technologies at speed and at scale. Under the Rapid Adoption Service framework, DIANA can award R&D and prototype contracts on behalf of Allies through an “opt‑in programme,” reducing administrative barriers and accelerating adoption timelines. Successfully demonstrated prototypes can then transition through to production without further competition.
“The Rapid Adoption Service is designed to help Allies move faster from identified capability need to real-world solutions,” said Jyoti Hirani-Driver, Acting Managing Director of NATO DIANA. “This contract with Defence Research and Development Canada and HonuWorx shows how Allied nations can quickly and collaboratively leverage DIANA to turn innovation into operational capability.”
For this contract, DIANA’s legal, commercial and adoption teams worked closely with DRDC to co‑develop the contract specifications and establish the opt‑in programme under the Rapid Adoption Service, enabling DIANA to act on Canada’s behalf. HonuWorx was selected after having participated in DIANA’s highly competitive Critical Infrastructure and Logistics Challenge in 2025. During Phase 1 of the DIANA programme, the company was paired with COVE, the DIANA accelerator site in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where it worked closely with end users and technical experts to refine its solution.
DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service directly supports NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan, agreed by NATO Heads of State and Government at the 2025 Hague Summit, which aims to reduce technology adoption timelines across the Alliance to a maximum of 24 months.