Following a series of trials, defense biz BAE Systems says it is readying an autonomous military submarine for the end of next year.
The uncrewed sub, dubbed Herne, is officially known as an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV). It was designed to monitor and help protect underwater infrastructure, possibly in light of the growing threat of sabotage to undersea cables.
However, BAE Systems says Herne can conduct a wider range of missions, including supporting anti-submarine warfare and undertaking covert surveillance. Trials in late 2024 saw the craft conduct a pre-programmed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission.
BAE has now confirmed a 10-year agreement with Canadian outfit Cellula Robotics to continue development of Herne, with the expectation the pair will deliver a working craft by the end of 2026.
Although described as extra-large, Herne can fit into a standard 40-foot shipping container, perhaps an indication of how it might be transported for deployment. The uncrewed sub is said to have a range of up to 5000 kilometers (about 3,100 miles) with up to 45 days endurance, at depths of 5000 meters (about 16,400 feet).
Herne is battery powered, but BAE is looking at other options, such as hydrogen fuel cells. It is configured with a large and flexible cargo space, capable of fitting a wide range of mission-specific payloads, which could include depth charges or other underwater weapons.
Scott Jamieson, managing director at BAE Systems’ Maritime and Land Defence Solutions, said it was aiming to keep up a rapid pace of development for Herne.
“It’s a game changer in the underwater battlespace and will enable us to offer our customers a cost-effective autonomous capability providing them with more endurance, efficiency and scale, whilst keeping their people out of harm’s way,” he stated.
However, this isn’t the only uncrewed submarine being developed in Britain. Earlier this year, the Royal Navy unveiled Excalibur, a similar-sized vessel designed to serve as a demonstration, so it will not perform operational duties but instead “shape future concepts.”
On the surface, the Royal Navy’s ASW Spearhead program, which is all about detecting and tracking hostile submarines, is understood to be bearing fruit.
According to the Ministry of Defence, a modern computer interface for Sonar 2087 has been developed that makes it easier for operators to see and understand underwater threats. Sonar 2087 is towed behind a sub-hunting frigate to spot undersea vessels at some distance.
ASW Spearhead has also delivered enhancements for the Royal Navy’s Merlin anti-sub helicopters in the shape of acoustic systems that can process more sonobuoy channels and combine signals from multiple sources. A sonobuoy is a small sonar device dropped from helicopters to help detect submarines. ®