The Royal Navy has ordered its first crewless submarine from Plymouth-based company MSubs to shape the future of underwater warfare.
Funded by the Anti-Submarine Warfare Spearhead programme, run by the Royal Navy’s “Develop Directorate” from their Headquarters in Portsmouth and delivered through the Submarine Delivery Agency in Bristol, this is the latest in a series of novel underwater technologies being brought to life to deal with the threats of the next decade.
The £15.4 million Cetus will be the largest and most complex crewless submersible operated by European navies, designed and built specially for the Royal Navy.
In just two years’ time the vessel, named after a mythological sea monster, will move stealthily through the oceans, monitoring hostile activity, listening out for ships or submarines which may pose a threat to the navy’s fleet.
At 12 metres long and 2.2 metres in diameter, the 17-tonne submarine can fit inside a shipping container and be transported around the world to wherever the Fleet needs it. The unarmed battery-powered craft will be able to dive deeper than any vessel in the current submarine fleet and cover up to 1,000 miles in a single mission. Acting as an operational demonstrator, the goal is for Cetus – and its successors – to work side-by-side with traditional crewed submarines, such as the current Astute-class hunter-killers, or independently.
“This Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is a capability step-change in our mission to dominate the underwater battle space. And I am delighted that the project is able to support a small, innovative UK company which is at the cutting edge of this sector,” First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said.
“Cetus is our first venture into large-scale, uncrewed submarines. It’s exciting, the possibilities are enormous, and I like to think Cetus could change the way we fight under the sea as much as those pioneers in Holland I did,” Lieutenant Commander Andrew Witts added.
The crewless submarine is the latest step taken by the Royal Navy into the world of autonomy. Autonomous minehunting systems are already operating in Scotland, driverless Pacific 24 sea boats are undergoing testing, numerous aerial drones are employed by ships both for reconnaissance/intelligence gathering and target practice for air defence.
The Royal Navy has invested in a dedicated tech trials ship, XV Patrick Blackett, to assess this new equipment and help determine how it might be used or integrated into the fleet.