DASA invests in autonomous submarine development
12/03/2020
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has awarded an initial £1 million contract for the development of the first extra-large, autonomous submarine for use by the Royal Navy.

Speaking of the contract, admiral Tony Radakin, first sea lord said: “I am enormously excited about the potential for remotely piloted and autonomous systems to increase our reach and lethality, improve our efficiency and reduce the number of people we have to put in harm’s way.
“These XLUUVs [extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles] are at the forefront of underwater systems technology. UK technological developments such as this will be key to the Royal Navy maintaining its battle-winning edge in the underwater environment.”
He continued: “XLUUV submarines are especially adept at covert intelligence gathering. They can leave their dock autonomously and secretly move to the operational area without any embarked crew for up to three months. They are also able to sense hostile targets and report their findings back to the station.”
DASA delivery manager Adam Moore said: “DASA’s involvement is enabling this technology to advance at a much quicker pace and to deliver new capabilities to the Royal Navy years earlier than otherwise possible, making sure the UK stays ahead of our adversaries.
“Not only will this enhance the UK’s strategic advantage but also boost UK prosperity by supporting small and medium-sized companies like MSubs in Plymouth.”
The programme’s first stage will see an existing crewed submersible refitted with autonomous control systems. If initial testing is successful, up to a further £1.5-million will be made available for the project.
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