Royal Navy tests autonomous submarine Excalibur XLUUV

UK Leads the Charge in Autonomous Undersea Warfare with AUKUS Breakthrough In a landmark moment for naval innovation, the UK Royal Navy has successfully operated its new autonomous submarine, Excalibur, remotely from Australia—over 10,000 miles away—during Exercise Talisman Sabre. This world-first under the AUKUS Pillar II framework marks a major leap in digital and autonomous force interoperability. Built under Project Cetus, Excalibur is a 12-meter Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) capable of 30+ days submerged endurance and modular mission payloads. It’s designed for stealth, flexibility, and strategic reach—ideal for contested zones like the South China Sea and Arctic. The UK’s leadership in integrating Excalibur into AUKUS showcases its commitment to global maritime security and innovation. This isn’t just a technological milestone—it’s a blueprint for how allied forces will operate in the future: distributed, autonomous, and interoperable. https://lnkd.in/gb6EiCDh #AUKUS #RoyalNavy #UnderseaWarfare #DefenseInnovation #ExcaliburXLUUV #UKDefense #AutonomousSystems #IndoPacificSecurity #NavalTechnology

The U.S. Navy’s efforts to rapidly expand its fleet of unmanned surface and underwater drones, aimed at countering China’s growing dominance in the Indo-Pacific, are encountering major obstacles. Despite heavy investments, several projects are behind schedule, and questions are being raised about their combat readiness. #USNavy #DroneFleet #MilitaryTechnology #DefenseInnovation #NavalWarfare #ChinaRise #AutonomousVehicles #DefenseTech #MilitaryStrategy #NavalDefense #TechInDefense #FutureWarfare #AIinDefense #MaritimeSecurity #DefenseIndustry #NavalTechnology #InnovationInDefense #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity #TechNews https://lnkd.in/eKK7Xtrp

We are proud to announce that darkflite has been selected by AFWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract to address some of the United States Department of the Air Force’s most pressing challenges through advanced drone technology, with a focus on accelerating frontline survival by developing next-generation capabilities for rapid military medical emergency response. Developed and manufactured in the United States, we are committed to contributing to America’s leadership in advanced aerial mobility and look forward to demonstrating how our drone platform can enhance readiness, resilience, and efficiency for the Air Force. Full article: https://lnkd.in/gUDCuq7V

The Navy’s investment in unmanned surface vessels underscores a broader shift: autonomous systems are becoming central to naval strategy. These AI powered vessels offer persistent surveillance and greater operational flexibility, reshaping how the fleet operates in contested waters. By integrating autonomous capabilities, the Navy can extend its reach, reduce risk to personnel, and respond more quickly to emerging threats. From what I see it’s a strategic evolution, where smarter, autonomous systems become force multipliers across every mission at sea. #USV #ePropelled #UnmannedSystems #DualUse #DefenceInnovation #MaritimeSecurity #ISR #Navy #DefenseTech (#DefenceTech)

A revised version of the Herne XLAUV developed by BAE Systems and Cellula Robotics Ltd. is expected to be market-ready for military customers by the end of 2026. The British defence prime has announced a new ten-year collaboration agreement with the Canadian firm to work on the uncrewed submarine. Navy Leaders is given to understand the revised platform will feature a reconfigured modular payload bay which will maximise its capacity, and a reworked profile to help minimise its signature in the water. #defence #BAESystems #Herne #XLAUV #CellulaRobotics #UUV #autonomy #CUI #seabedwarfare #NavyLeaders Read more here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eANRSVep

Thales and HII have announced a new partnership to provide an autonomous mine countermeasures (MCM) system. The two firms revealed they have successfully integrated Thales Synthetic Aperture Mine Detection and Imaging Sonar (SAMDIS 600) with HII’s REMUS 620 medium uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV). As per a press statement, combined together, the two systems promise to offer “autonomous mine detection, classification, and imaging, offering naval forces and partners around the world enhanced capability for undersea security, mine countermeasures, and subsea infrastructure monitoring.” #defence #MCM #uncrewed #autonomy #Thales #HII #REMUS #SAMDIS #NavyLeaders Read more here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dXHDZ34k

Australia has announced plans to invest 1.1 billion US dollars over the next five years to develop a fleet of advanced underwater drones called Ghost Shark for its navy. The initiative aims to enhance national defense amid increasing maritime activities by China. The Ghost Shark drones are designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions, with capabilities for long-distance autonomous operation and stealth that reduce detectability on enemy radar. Defense Minister Richard Marles emphasized the importance of the Ghost Shark drones as a significant asset for the Royal Australian Navy, particularly given Australia's extensive coastline and relatively small population. Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy described the drones as "world class" and expressed interest in expanding maritime defense cooperation with Japan, highlighting ongoing collaboration efforts, including a recent partnership in developing a new naval ship. #MotiveAsia #Japan https://lnkd.in/gB8jpjMh

💡𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪? The French Navy is now integrating combat-ready unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) aboard its Mistral-class amphibious helicopter carriers as part of an experimental operation led by the DGA (French Defense Procurement Agency). This pioneering hybrid force, featuring drones such as the Seaquest S (NavaL Group) and DriX H8 (Exail), enhances amphibious ships’ capabilities in surveillance, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare — marking a significant evolution in naval operational concepts. ⚓ 𝗨𝗦𝗩𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗛𝗔: 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆 Under a DGA-funded experimentation, French drone systems like the Seaquest S and DriX H8 are being tested at sea from PHA platforms, showcasing France’s ambition to embed unmanned systems into maritime power projection. 🚢 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: The USV deployment experiments are currently underway, notably during the Dragoon Fury 25 exercise. The DriX H8, weighing ~1.4 tons and operating autonomously for up to one week at ~8 mph, is used to gather acoustic and environmental data. These trials position PHAs as mobile platforms not only for troops and helicopters, but also for future unmanned maritime assets. 🌐 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁: - Extended maritime surveillance with minimal crew risk - Enhanced anti-submarine detection capabilities - Rapid data collection on acoustic environmental conditions - Increased operational flexibility and endurance in contested zones 📣 At EURONAVAL 2026, the integration of USVs on surface vessels will be showcased as a reflection of French naval innovation, onboard autonomous capabilities, and strategic technological experimentation. Source: https://swll.to/cOaHE7z #EN26 #PHA #UnmannedSurfaceVessel #NavalInnovation #HybridForce #MarineNationale #AutonomousWarfare

The US Navy has awarded contracts to Anduril Industries, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and General Atomics to develop conceptual designs for a carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), an autonomous “loyal wingman” drone that can operate from aircraft carriers. Lockheed Martin is providing the common control system through its Skunk Works MDCX autonomy platform. This marks the Navy’s most visible step yet toward its own CCA program, which has been developed largely in secret compared to the Air Force’s more public effort. Both services want drones that can fly alongside fighter jets, but the Navy must ensure carrier takeoff and landing and is aiming for a lower cost of around $15 million per aircraft—much cheaper than the Air Force’s $25–30 million goal. Navy officials have said these drones will be used for surveillance and strike missions, with a limited lifespan, potentially ending as one-way attack weapons. Fielding is targeted for the second half of this decade, building on progress from the MQ-25 tanker drone and successful demonstrations of autonomous control systems. Meanwhile, the United States Air Force has already begun flight testing CCA prototypes from General Atomics and Anduril, with long-term plans to deploy as many as 1,000 drones. https://lnkd.in/eVDng-4g #USNavy #DefenseInnovation #Drones #MilitaryTechnology #Autonomy #LockheedMartin #Boeing #NorthropGrumman #Anduril #GeneralAtomics #Aerospace #DefenseIndustry

The Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy’s transition toward a MUM-T fleet is becoming increasingly defined, with shipbuilders and aerospace firms unveiling platforms and systems to support future unmanned naval operations via a drone carrier project.