UK Royal Navy Orders Crewless Submarine from MSubs
The UK Royal Navy has awarded a £15.4 million (currently around $18,8 million) contract for a crewless submarine to the Plymouth-based company MSubs. The submarine is expected to be delivered to the Navy in two years. The Navy expects the submarine to further advance the UK’s ability to protect our critical national infrastructure and monitor sub-sea activity."Project Cetus – named after a mythological sea monster – enhances the Royal Navy’s experimentation with autonomous underwater systems.
Attention Turns to Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vessels
In August, 2021, after years of delays, cost overruns, and rising tensions, the Australian government canceled a A$90 billion order with France’s Naval Group for 12 conventionally powered submarines intended to replace the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s aging fleet of six Collins-class attack subs. Overnight, the future of the RAN’s undersea warfare capability was cast into uncertainty. The very next month, however, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a plan to help Australia fill the void…
Shipowners' Club on Mayflower Autonomous Ship
The Shipowners' Club has revelead details about Mayflower Autonomous Ship project (MAS), which is an innovative new venture to design, build and sail the world’s first fully autonomous vessel across the Atlantic Ocean. The project’s name commemorates the anniversary of the Pilgrim Father’s voyage from Plymouth, UK to Plymouth in the New World (USA) on the original Mayflower in 1620. To mark the anniversary, marine tech company MSubs, Plymouth University and charitable research foundation Promare, are developing a 21-metre autonomous vessel based on a classic Oyster hull. The vessel is expected to take two years to build, outfit and complete rigorous sea trials.
