MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK’s BAE Systems testing a new autonomous underwater vehicle

Called Herne, it is based on a commercial vehicle that is being developed for naval use, it is centered on BAE's Nautomate autonomous military control system.

For the last eight weeks, BAE Systems has been testing a new extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle at a secret testing harbor on the UK south coast. Called Herne, it is like a small submarine, which can operate using its inbuilt systems without any human input.

Based on a commercial vehicle that is being developed for naval use, it is centered on BAE's Nautomate autonomous military control system.

Herne has the power to think through situations by itself, so can go around obstacles and decide how to best avoid detection. Designed to fit in a 40ft shipping container, it could fit inside a Type 26's mission hangar or even an RAF A400M Atlas.

So far 10 of the world's navies have been to assess it.

Of note is the craft's modularity, which means you can fit lots of different bits into these payload bays – depending on what you want it to do.

Nick Martin, maritime autonomy manager at BAE Systems, says this gives a “huge amount of flexibility for customers”. He explained: “You can take that payload bay out and within an hour you can remove it and slot a new one in.

”That could be a whole range of capabilities from the ability to detect submarines to survey critical national infrastructure.“

Using an existing platform from the Canadian company Cellular means development to this stage has only taken 11 months. 

BAE says it will be just a year and a half more until it will be ready for customers – with huge spec variations available depending on what each customer wants, -- from budget-friendly battery versions with moderate endurance to hydrogen fuel cell types capable of thousands of miles at sea.

Work is already in hand to equip the subs with just one payload bay capable of holding and then firing torpedoes like Sting Ray. 

Its developers are aware today's navies want longevity in their products, even if they are high-tech at the time of purchase.

Tim O'Neill, from BAE Systems Maritime Services, told BFBS Forces News: ”We've seen the pace of development of technology just be astronomical over the last few years, and that's only going to continue.

“What we're trying to do is develop a platform that will remain static, but the capabilities that go within that platform and the systems that go within that platform can be switched out as they develop, as they improve and as they enhance.”

BAE says the reaction to this project has been good and it is hopeful of orders. (BFBS)