• Naval Warfare

  Naval primes dive into an underwater acquisition gold rush

  20th July 2026

  A cluster of acquisitions by Fincantieri, Thales, Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall points to a race to secure underwater warfare, autonomy and sensing capability.

• Naval Warfare

  Hanwha Ocean and TKMS are firming up their Canadian next-gen submarine proposals

  26th March 2026

  CPSP competitors are proposing platforms fitted with advanced, next-generation capabilities to be built and sustained in cooperation with the Canadian industry.

• Naval Warfare

  From Chokepoints to the Deep: ASELSAN’s Naval Vision at EURONAVAL

  4th November 2026

  From deployable ship defence to autonomous sea and underwater vehicles, ASELSAN is preparing for a new era of naval security.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements

  8th October 2026

  A heavyweight torpedo firing from the Royal Navy’s uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur suggests a shift beyond surveillance, with allied navies eyeing strike roles for large autonomous undersea vessels.

• Defence Notes

  Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era

  16th September 2026

  At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.

• Naval Warfare

  UK MoD faces ‘serious’ ASW gap as Defence Committee outlines Arctic requirements

  30th October 2026

  Anti-submarine warfare, uncrewed vessels and seabed monitoring top the demand list in the Defence Committee’s High North roadmap for the 2030s.

• Naval Warfare

  All eyes on Royal Navy’s Type 93 market engagement as industry prepares bids

  22nd October 2026

  Responses are due by 29 October as the Royal Navy tests the market, with BAE Systems’ Herne and MSubs’ Excalibur setting up a contest where payloads may decide the winner.

• Naval Warfare

  Aevex, Lockheed Martin and Thales deals highlight consolidation in naval technology

  19th October 2026

  A wave of acquisitions is bringing specialist autonomy and underwater technology under the umbrella of larger defence contractors. As a result, navies may gain faster access to capability, but not necessarily a broader choice of suppliers.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan’s FY2027 budget bets on stand-off systems to offset demographic decline

  9th September 2026

  Japan’s FY2027 defence budget backs stand-off strike, a 17-aircraft MQ-9B buy and a declared bid to lead the world in uncrewed maritime assets, alongside new frigates, submarines and support ships.

• Naval Warfare

  Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage

  28th September 2026

  As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.

• Naval Warfare

  SOF Week 2026: MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system

  18th May 2026

  MARSOC is procuring the Shark Marine Dive Tablet 2 to address a longstanding combat diver navigation capability gap, improving underwater positioning, situational awareness and integration with existing diver propulsion vehicles.

• Naval Warfare

  SAHA 2026: Turkey markets modular undersea systems to European buyers

  13th May 2026

  Turkey’s defence industry is pushing a class of platform and building an entire philosophy of cost-imposition around it.

• Naval Warfare

  Autonomy gives Turkey a chance to outflank established naval shipbuilders

  26th October 2026

  Turkish shipbuilders have sold ships from Asia to Europe, but autonomy and swarm technology could give them a fairer fight against Western European rivals.

• Naval Warfare

  UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare

  29th June 2026

  With a revised Defence Investment Plan on the way ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit on 7-8 July, the UK government has begun to reveal more details of how its future naval fleet could look.

• Naval Warfare

  Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift

  4th November 2026

  The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Multirole Underwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) [Italy]

  Programme background Requirements According to the presentation provided by the Italian Navy, the MultiroleUnderwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) will:operate a wide range of uncrewed systems, ...

• Military - UUVs

  Autonomous Ocean Drone [Sweden]

  Background Requirements Saab is delivering a Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LUUV) currently named the Autonomous Ocean Drone AOD) to the Swedish Navy. It is designed to employ underwater sensors, ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Underwater Intervention Maritime Action Vessel (BAM-IS) [Spain]

  Background Timeline On 5 November 2021, the Spanish MoD signed a contract for Navantia to build a new submarine rescue vessel at its Puerto Real ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS) [Italy]

  Background Requirements The programme aims to develop a new vessel capable of replacing the ageing Anteo that has reached the end of its life cycle with over ...

• Minehunters

  Kormoran II Class MCM (4-6) [Poland]

  Background Timeline As of March 2022, the Kormoran II-class consists of six minehunters for the Polish Navy. However, as of June 2022, only one vessel has been commissioned. ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  T-AGOS Surtass Ships (6-7) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance (T-AGOS) ships focus on gathering underwater acoustical data to support the mission of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  VICTA procurement [Greece]

  Background In June 2026, the Greek Parliament approved the purchase of ten VICTA diver delivery units (DDU) as part of wider defence procurements worth $1.16 ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Nation Shield [Kuwait]

  Background The Kuwaiti government signed a contract valued at $486.99 million with Australia-based defense company Electro Optic Systems and its subsidiary MARSS, headquartered in London, ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) (1-2) [India]

  Programme Background Requirements The units will perform multi-role support functions such as maritime surveillance & patrol, launching/recovery of torpedoes and operation of various types of ...

• Minehunters

  New Generation Minehunters/Coastal (NGM/C) (1-5) [Italy]

  Background Requirements Four vessels were planned to be NGM/A, a new ocean-going MCMV, while a further eight NGM/C minehunters, a new coastal MCMV. These will replace ...

• Corvettes

  Continental Defence Corvette [Canada]

  Background Initial requirements Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Canada is seeking to procure an undisclosed number of small vessels (below 1000t). Part ...

• Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Royal Marines) [UK]

  Background Trials In late 2020, the T-150 participated in Autonomous Advance Force (AAF) trials in Crpyus and dropped supplies to 40 Commando. The MoD also ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Dutch Expeditionary Patrol Vehicle (Batch 1) [Netherlands]

  Background The Netherlands is currently enhancing its military capabilities across multiple domains. The Royal Netherlands Navy is in the process of expanding both its surface and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XLUUV [USN]

  Background Requirements According to the FY27-FY31 shipbuilding plan, the XLUUVs will be “pier-launched vessels with a modular design that can accommodate a variety of payloads”. They ...

• Military - USVs

  Type 92 uncrewed underwater sense platform [UK]

  Background Requirements The Type 92 USVs will be required to complement the Royal Navy's existing anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets in the Type 31 and Type ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Military - UUVs

  Uncrewed Combat Underwater Vehicle (UCUV)

  The Uncrewed Combat Underwater Vehicle (UCUV) is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) being developed and built by France's Naval Group for the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA).

• Military - UUVs

  SG-1 Fathom

  The SG-1 Fathom is an uncrewed underwater vessel designed by German manufacturer Helsing. The UUV is intended for subsurface surveillance and can be deployed in ...

• Sea: tactical training

  DUNKER Helicopter Underwater Egress Training Facility

  The DUNKER Helicopter Underwater Egress Training (HUET) Facility has been developed by Turkish defence manufacturer Meteksan Savunma Sanayi for the local Naval Forces. It is ...

• Military - UUVs

  SL-1000

  The Sea Trident SL-1000 is an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) developed by Ukrainian company Global Mark. The company is associated with unmanned aerial vehicles ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  UT 3000 2G

  The UT 3000 2G is an underwater communications system designed and built by ELAC SONAR. Offered in both underwater and surface configurations, it is in ...

• Land: coastal surveillance radars

  SeaShield

  The SeaShield is a long-range underwater surveillance and warning system manufactured by DSIT Solutions in Israel. According to the manufacturer, it is an ASW system that provides ...

• Military - UUVs

  Autonomous Ocean Drone (AOD)

  The Autonomous Ocean Drone (AOD) is a Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LUUV) designed by Saab. It is intended to employ underwater sensors, long-range intelligence, surveillance and ...

• Military - UUVs

  V-Fides

  The V-Fides is an AUV developed by Leonardo that can be employed both in civilian and surveillance missions. The range of possible missions includes archaeological research, underwater ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  Fersah 100-S IA

  Fersah 100-S IA is a passive submarine sonar system developed by Aselsan. The sensor operates in the low-to-medium frequency range and is designed to listen ...

• UAS: communication systems

  GIB FT

  The GIB FT portable torpedo and UUV tracking range is composed of a set of buoys that receives acoustic signals transmitted by the pingers mounted ...

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• UAS: communication systems

  GIB SAR

  The portable GIB SAR is an underwater GPS tracking system. By combining four buoys and a deck unit, which can be installed either on a ...

• Swimmer delivery vehicles

  FWS-5 Barracuda

  The FWS-5 Barracuda represents the latest variant in a long line of SDV technology manufactured by Emirates Marine Technology. Capable of carrying two operators, the ...

• Military - UUVs

  A18-T

  The A18-T is a multirole configured AUV designed by Exail. The twin-hull platform is designed to perform missions such as mine countermeasures and harbour security, hydrographic littoral ...