The Royal Navy has confirmed it has successfully tested a new 40-foot unmanned submarine capable of being controlled from the other side of the world.
The vessel, named Excalibur, is classed as an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) and is the largest of its kind to date for the Royal Navy. Built by Plymouth-based firm MSubs, the submarine is 12 metres long, two metres wide and displaces 19 tonnes of seawater.
In trials carried out under the AUKUS defence partnership, Excalibur was remotely operated in British waters from a control centre in Australia, more than 10,000 miles away. The tests formed part of Project Cetus, a three-year development programme, and coincided with Exercise Talisman Sabre, a major multinational military exercise in the Pacific. Alongside the UK, US and Australia, countries such as France, Japan and South Korea also participated or observed.
Future Role
While the Ministry of Defence has not detailed Excalibur’s full capabilities, the vessel is expected to support missions including long-endurance surveillance, seabed warfare, and the deployment of sensors or payloads in contested areas.
The Navy has described the platform as a technology demonstrator, designed to test how large autonomous submarines could be integrated into future operations.
Further testing will continue as part of the AUKUS agreement, which aims to accelerate the development of advanced joint military technology.
