Royal Navy takes delivery of autonomous mine hunter
The Royal Navy has taken delivery of its first autonomous mine hunting system, boosting UK defence with AI-driven maritime technology from Thales UK.
It was designed and manufactured in the UK under a £184m deal with Thales UK, supporting over 200 jobs in Somerset, Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Scotland.
In a statement, Phil Siveter, CEO of Thales UK, said: “With the introduction of AI and advanced sensor technology, this innovation represents a new era in maritime defence technology and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that enhance the capabilities of our defence forces. The Royal Navy will now have a powerful tool to safeguard national interests and maintain security at sea.”
The Royal Navy will receive its first four systems over the course of the year. Each system includes an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), an advanced towed sonar (TSAM) with multivision sonar (SAMDIS), a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and e-POC, its lightweight operations centre.
Thales said its sonar analysis application, Mi-Map, will process sonar data up to four times faster, allowing for precise detection and classification of seafloor mines.
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