UK and US test torpedo from uncrewed underwater vessel
The UK government says the test in British waters advances autonomous naval technology, but supplied details do not establish operational readiness.
The United Kingdom and United States have conducted a torpedo test from an uncrewed underwater vessel, in what the UK government described as the first test of its kind.
The live firing took place in UK waters the previous week as part of AUKUS cooperation between Australia, the UK and the US. The heavyweight torpedo was launched from Excalibur, a British-made, 12-metre uncrewed underwater vessel.
The UK government said the test marked a major advance in submarine technology and represented a breakthrough for Euro-Atlantic security and NATO’s undersea advantage. Those claims have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
The torpedo was jointly developed by the US and Australia, according to the UK government. The announcement forms part of broader efforts by Western countries to develop autonomous military systems amid perceived threats from Russia and Iran.
Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the RUSI think tank, said the use of a lethal payload suggested uncrewed systems could have roles beyond surveillance. The report provides no technical details about the test’s objectives or outcome beyond the launch, and does not establish operational or battlefield capability.
