UK’s first crewless submarine launched

Plymouth-based tech firm MSubs has launched the Royal Navy’s first crewless submarine at Turnchapel Wharf.

The extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle (XLUUV) is part of Project Cetus, named after a mythological sea monster.

The goal of the project is to enhance the Royal Navy’s experimentation with autonomous underwater systems. It is the first step in developing an operational autonomous submarine that will work side-by-side with crewed submarines—including the Astute-class hunter-killers and their successors—or independently, according to the Royal Navy.

MSubs received a £15.4 million contract to build the uncrewed submersible back in 2022. Cetus is 12 meters long, 2.2 meters in diameter, and weighs 17 tonnes. It is battery-powered, meaning its effective range can be increased by installing additional batteries. It has also been designed to be modular, with an optional section that can be added to double the capacity of the vessel.

The XLUUV will be the largest and most complex crewless submersible operated by a European navy, according to the UK officials.

The crewless submarine is the latest step taken by the Royal Navy into autonomous systems, and have been for over a decade. Crewless minehunting systems are already operating in Scotland, and the navy has invested in a dedicated tech trials ship, XV Patrick Blackett, to assess and test new equipment and determine how it could be used or integrated into the fleet. Cetus is the equivalent for sub-sea experimentation.