The Royal Navy will deploy its first operational autonomous systems into the North Atlantic next year as part of a rapid shift toward a hybrid fleet, the First Sea Lord told the International Sea Power Conference in London.
The commitments mark the earliest tangible outputs of the Navy’s new Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Shield and Atlantic Strike concepts.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins warned that the UK’s long-held advantage in the Atlantic is under growing pressure, citing increased Russian submarine activity and the expanding presence of intelligence vessels such as Yantar. He said “the advantage that we have enjoyed in the Atlantic since the end of the Cold War is at risk. We are holding on, but not by much.”
Against that backdrop, he outlined four concrete deliverables that will come online in 2026.
First Atlantic Bastion sensors in the water
The Navy will begin deploying autonomous acoustic sensors next year, forming the initial element of a wider undersea surveillance network. Jenkins said “next year, we will have our first sensors in the water,” emphasising that industry investment has already exceeded Government spending at a ratio of four to one.
Atlantic Bastion contracts to be issued as a service
Alongside the initial deployments, the Navy will award “our contracts for Atlantic Bastion as a service” next year. The model is intended to accelerate fielding and avoid long procurement cycles by outsourcing capability delivery rather than buying equipment outright.
Autonomous escort to enter the water
Jenkins reaffirmed a previous pledge that “we will get our first autonomous escort in the water within two years, and we will.” Based on the timeline, that system is due to appear next year as part of Atlantic Shield, the UK contribution to northern air and maritime defence.
Carrier-launched fast jet drone demonstrator
The Navy will also conduct the first launch of an unmanned fast-jet surrogate from a UK carrier. “We will get a demonstrator for our fast jet fighter capability off the carrier next year,” Jenkins said, describing it as a key component of the emerging Atlantic Strike concept.
Allies being invited to join the network
Jenkins stressed that the UK cannot secure the Atlantic alone. He confirmed that Norway intends to join Atlantic Bastion and link its future Type 26 frigates into the network, adding that “we need other allies together. We will build a network that we can connect to our systems and capabilities.”
A warning against delay
Framing the commitments, Jenkins said the pace of technological change and the rising threat environment mean the Navy must build for speed rather than predict the future. “The pace of technological change will never be as slow again as it is today,” he noted. “Now is the time for action.”
He added that attempts to modernise without transforming would fall short, arguing that adversaries are investing at scale while the UK’s legacy Atlantic advantage has narrowed.
The First Sea Lord closed with a call for sustained urgency: “We are moving out because we have no choice. Our job is to be ready.”
What fast jet surrogate? No UK project under way apart from development of Banshee drones.
I understand how we might deploy a General Atomics variant for surveillance, but a fast jet surrogate is going to need major investment in launch and recovery systems.
Turkish Kizilelma or is that too large to launch from our carriers?
It’s an interesting proposal – I don’t think that the Kızılelma requires anything more than a slope to takeoff, given it’s been designed to handle the much shorter runway of the TCG Anadolu. In that sense, it should be easier to have the Kızılelma take off from a QE-class, which has a wider and longer deck to work with.
Landing is a little more tricky – I’m struggling to find information as to whether the Kızılelma would need arresting gear to facilitate a landing. The TCG Anadolu is not fitted with arresting gear currently, nor can I find any proposals to do so, which leads me to believe that the Kızılelma can perform a landing on the runway of the Anadolu, and therefore should be capable of doing so on the QE-class.
So, in short, it’s not too large to launch, but recovery is a little more nebulous.
I suspect a banshee drone being controlled by another platform and they will describe it as job done.
All armed forces appear to be about generating content for social media nowadays.
What is the distance needed to launch a MQ9B short take off version off?
We could buy them but unsure how quickly it would come.
Its not a fighter though, and the americans still dont have it in service.
Outsourcing again. Not great. I recall they claim they’ll bring it in house in time.
Considering how terrible we are at building our own stuff e.g. Ajax, I wouldn’t mind quick buys from abroad
The Ajax hulls were built in Spain.
Can’t see how this is a priority, especially with resources being so oversubscribed. Still can’t see how carriers will be a asset not a liability in the atlantic. We have plenty of airbases that can cover the relatively short distances required, this isn’t the pacific. Thier deployment will require diversion of finite escorts which will be desperately needed else where. Even in harbour they will require diversion of anti air assers. We also tried using fleet carriers in asw role in ww2 and it went pretty badly. They couldn’t suffer inevitable attrition on regular asw patrols, that’s why escort carriers proved vital.
Probably be Valkyrie. Especially since airbus have bought into it.
We’ll have to see what demonstrator Project Vanquish turns up, but the idea that it will take off next year suggests there’s something off the shelf already close to being decided on. The issue of course isn’t trials. We are very good at trials, less good at buying operationally.
As for an autonomous escort within two years of the initial pledge… I can’t wait to find out where it’s being built.
Are these being added to our “Invisible Ships and Fighters” ?
Russian submarines?
If only the RN hadn’t let itself get down to just 6 very old – well ancient – Frigates