France’s Defence Innovation Agency (AID) and Naval Group have signed an agreement to develop an operational demonstrator of a large unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), designated Unmanned Combat Underwater Vehicle (UCUV).
Building on initial market studies launched in 2023 with the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and lessons learned from sea trials of Naval Group’s industrial demonstrator, the UCUV demonstrator will showcase France’s expertise in unmanned systems and combat submarines. The agreement was signed on November 3, 2026, during the Euronaval 2026 exhibition.
The DGA, AID and Naval Group are taking another step toward developing capabilities for the French Navy The development phase follows nearly three years of work and exchanges between DGA centers, the French Navy and Naval Group under the industrial oceanic drone demonstrator program. This program enabled the rapid evaluation of the key technologies required for the UCUV defense technology project.
The demonstrator is intended to demonstrate endurance and autonomous decision-making capabilities. It will be air-transportable and deployable either from a pier or a surface vessel.
The UCUV demonstrator will feature a controlled autonomous decision-making system, enabling it to adapt to changing tactical situations, environmental conditions and potential technical failures, either independently or in cooperation with other systems.
Designed as a multipurpose platform, it will be capable of performing a range of missions, from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to more offensive operations, including neutralization missions.
Sea trials of the UCUV demonstrator are scheduled to begin in 2028. The trials will validate the selected technologies and help assess the system's operational response to emerging forms of naval warfare.
