The Royal Navy is planning to procure a multi-role uncrewed surface vessel testbed worth an estimated £10 million intended for technology demonstration and to be delivered by the end of the 2026-27 financial year, according to a pipeline notice published by the Ministry of Defence.

The notice, published on 5 August, is a UK1 pipeline notice, which advertises a potential future contract rather than opening a competition. No tender has been issued and no supplier has been selected, with a tender notice estimated for 30 November 2026.

Setting out the requirement, the notice states that “DCTO is looking to procure a multi-role Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) testbed, for the purpose of technology demonstration which can be delivered by the end of FY26/27.”

Three operating configurations are specified. The notice says the vessel is expected to conduct “standalone uncrewed operations from a shore-based Remote Operating Centre (ROC)”, “integrated operations alongside a mothership (e.g. embarked or supported by a host platform)”, and “distributed multi-platform operations alongside other USVs”.

On what the vessel would be doing, the notice lists typical mission profiles as “long-range transits to operating areas”, “persistent loiter operations with active payload use”, and “technology trials involving sensor, autonomy and payload integration”.

The estimated total value is £10,000,000 and contract dates are estimated to run from 1 March 2027 to 31 March 2030, a period given in the notice as three years and one month. The requirement is recorded as particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, classified under ships and boats, and the contracting authority is Navy Commercial at Whale Island in Portsmouth.

The framing as a testbed is notable in itself, though, as the notice describes the purpose as technology demonstration, and the mission profiles centre on trials rather than operational tasks, suggesting the Navy is buying a platform to learn on while requirements for operational vessels are still being defined.

The plan is part of a push into maritime autonomy, the Defence Investment Plan set out an intention to field uncrewed platforms in numbers alongside crewed warships, including designated Type 91 uncrewed missile platforms, Type 92 uncrewed underwater sensing platforms, Type 93 extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles and Type 94 uncrewed sensor platforms, working with the planned Common Combat Vessel and existing frigates.

The Ministry of Defence separately published a preliminary market engagement notice on 5 August seeking industry input on establishing a Platform Authority for maritime uncrewed systems, described as covering “the governance, engineering expertise, certification support and through-life assurance necessary to enable the safe and effective operation of current and future capabilities.”