The AUKUS partnership is advancing the development of new undersea sensing capabilities for its uncrewed underwater fleets, with the UK set to lead the delivery of three sensor payloads designed to collect underwater intelligence, detect and classify threats, and generate underwater effects.
The three payloads will comprise a Synthetic Aperture Sonar, a Deployable Anti-Submarine Warfare Sensor and a Deployable Non-Kinetic Effector. They will be developed for deployment on uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) operated by Australia, the UK and the United States, with availability across the three nations' fleets planned from 2027.
The development follows a week of testing and demonstrations at the Maritime Big Play-Pacific exercise in San Diego, where the three AUKUS partners tested the integration of crewed and uncrewed maritime systems across anti-submarine warfare, lethality, contested resupply, and subsea and seabed warfare.
The UK-led project builds on the first signature project under AUKUS Pillar II, which focuses on developing advanced military capabilities through cooperation among the three nations. The new payloads are intended to expand UUV surveillance of large ocean areas and strengthen the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.
The UK also led the anti-submarine warfare strand of the exercise, contributing 13 uncrewed surface vehicles, two anti-submarine warfare targets and four underwater gliders from six industry partners.
The Maritime Big Play trials form part of broader efforts to integrate autonomous maritime systems into AUKUS naval forces and support the development of the UK's planned Hybrid Navy, combining crewed and uncrewed platforms.
"The UK is all in on AUKUS, and this cutting-edge technology shows why. By leading development of these sensor payloads, we’re putting British innovation at the heart of AUKUS and strengthening our collective undersea capability. In places like Frome, Basingstoke and Dorchester, British companies large and small are driving this work forward, creating skilled jobs and backing our plan to deliver a modern, Hybrid Navy fit for the threats we face," Minister for Defense Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said.
"AUKUS is a uniquely powerful partnership, and the depth and breadth of our cutting-edge capability and strength in the maritime domain has been demonstrated this week in San Diego. The UK is now stepping forward to lead development of three of the most advanced undersea sensor payloads any of our three nations have fielded, sharpening our collective edge and reinforcing security across the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific," Stephen Lovegrove, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS, commented.
The AUKUS partnership is backed by the Defence Investment Plan, which set out £298 billion of UK defense spending over the next four years.
This summer, the navies of the UK, Australia and the US have tested personnel and advanced underwater technologies during Exercise Lanternfish, demonstrating how the three AUKUS partners could work together to protect critical undersea infrastructure.