Uncrewed fleets emerge as AUKUS nations’ answer to capability interval
The Kraken USV being piloted in the Solent. (Photo: UK Royal Navy)
While their multibillion-dollar nuclear submarine ambitions move forward at a glacial industrial pace, all three countries are making a swifter bet: fleets of uncrewed vessels that can be built, deployed and iterated in years rather than decades.
Australia, the UK and the US are fielding autonomous maritime platforms to plug capability gaps while long-term submarine programmes face protracted timelines.
Within the space of a single week in March 2026, the three nations that form the AUKUS trilateral security partnership each announced commitments to uncrewed maritime systems.
Australia invested A$176 million (US$125 million) in a fleet of Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The UK Royal Navy confirmed a £12.3 million (US$16.4 million) contract for 20 USVs under Project Beehive.
Across the Atlantic, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the US Navy selected
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