“We must end the mentality of ever larger platforms”: Why USVs are scaling
Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord, emphasised the importance of technological advancements in enhancing the Royal Navy's capabilities and deterrence against Russian threats in the North Atlantic. (Photo: author)
Multiple USV programme milestones announced last week, aligned with a reinforcement of the Royal Navy’s vision for a hybrid fleet, point to innovation-led ambition but also to a structural calculation with resource ceilings that neither London nor Washington can ignore.
A week rarely arrives in which a single theme runs so clearly. Yet last week delivered it: the US Navy (USN) reportedly outlined plans to field thousands of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) in the Indo-Pacific; Saildrone unveiled a combat-capable 52m USV with vertical-launch strike capability; Rheinmetall and Kraken Technology Group moved from prototype to serial production; HII announced four additional ROMULUS 151 hulls entering manufacture; and Anduril Industries partnered with Kraken to bring a family of small USVs to USN service.
Delivering the inaugural Lord Fisher Lecture at RUSI on 29 April 2026, Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord, offered a
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