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First UK autonomous XL military submarine is put through in-water testing

25th November 2024 - 11:30 GMT | by Tony Fyler in Swansea, Wales

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The Herne XLAUV was tested off the UK's south coast. (Picture: BAE Systems)

The BAE Systems Herne XLAUV has hit the water.

BAE Systems in the UK has demonstrated the operation of its new XLAUV (Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vessel), the Herne, during an assessment process off the English south coast near Portsmouth.

The Herne XLAUV was designed to give navies a sturdy “off board sensor” that could inspect undersea infrastructure, support anti-submarine warfare and deliver covert subsea surveillance.

The Herne, when deployed in the wild, has a degree of on board decision-making within its makeup, “deciding” for itself whether discovered information requires immediate surfacing and sending or whether sustained station-keeping is the more effective course of action.

The trial process involved the Herne conducting

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