France tasks Naval Group to develop large oceangoing underwater drone

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A large unmanned underwater vehicle is on display at the Naval Group stand during the Euronaval 2024 exhibition near Paris on Nov. 6, 2024. (Thierry Nectoux/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

PARIS — France signed a contract with shipbuilder Naval Group to develop an operational demonstrator of a large-sized oceangoing underwater drone, with sea trials to start in 2028.

The demonstrator of the uncrewed combat underwater vehicle, or UCUV, will have to show both endurance and autonomous decision-making capability, the French Armed Forces ministry said late Tuesday. The vehicle will be capable of carrying out missions ranging from intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance to “more offensive neutralization actions,” the ministry said.

For the French Navy, a plus-sized oceangoing autonomous underwater vehicle could offer a way to extend its presence across the country’s vast maritime space. France has the world’s second-largest exclusive economic zone behind the United States, with about 11 million square kilometers spread across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

“In the face of intensifying competition for underwater domains and threats weighing on critical infrastructure, the start of development of the UCUV demonstrator is a strong marker of the French Navy’s determination to establish its technological and tactical superiority,” the ministry said.

“France thus joins the very select group of nations engaged in the definition and development of a large-sized unmanned underwater vehicle capability.”

The U.S. Navy has been working with Boeing to develop the Orca uncrewed underwater vehicle, while the United Kingdom last month said it fired a heavy torpedo from an extra-large uncrewed underwater vessel for the first time. Australia in September said it was buying a fleet of Ghost Shark extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles from Anduril for A$1.7 billion (US$1.2 billion).

The agreement between France’s Defense Innovation Agency and Naval Group follows an initial market study started in 2023 with the Directorate General for Armament, the ministry said. The demonstrator must be air transportable, and able to be deployed from a pier or a surface vehicle, it said.

Naval Group has previously developed a 10-ton ocean-going drone demonstrator using its own money, and the yard’s self-funded work allowed for rapid evaluation of the technology required for the UCUV project, the ministry said. France in January 2024 said it ordered a technological demonstrator based on the prototype to test energy autonomy, sensor integration and autonomous operation.

The future ocean-going demonstrator will be equipped with a “controlled autonomous decision-making system” that will allow the underwater drone to adapt to tactical situations, the environment and potential breakdowns, either by itself or in collaboration with other systems, the ministry said.

France’s 2026 defense budget allocated €30 million in commitment authorizations and €17 million in payment appropriations for an ocean-going underwater drone demonstrator. The country’s 2024-2030 defense programming law including €5 billion for drones and robots over the seven-year period, including underwater drones.

The sea trials will validate the technological choices for the demonstrator as well as provide a better understanding of the operational response to new forms of naval combat, the ministry said.

Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.

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2024年11月6日，在巴黎附近举行的2024年欧洲海军装备展（Euronaval 2024）上，法国海军集团展台上展出了一艘大型无人水下航行器。（图片来源：Thierry Nectoux/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images）

巴黎——法国与造船企业法国海军集团签署了一份合同，开发大型远洋水下无人机的运行演示样机，海上试验将于 2028 年开始。

法国国防部周二晚间表示，无人作战水下航行器（UCUV）的演示样机必须展现出续航能力和自主决策能力。该部称，该航行器将能够执行从情报收集、监视和侦察到“更具进攻性的打击行动”等一系列任务。

对于法国海军而言，大型远洋自主水下航行器或许能帮助其拓展在法国广袤海域的行动范围。法国拥有仅次于美国的世界第二大专属经济区，面积约1100万平方公里，横跨大西洋、太平洋和印度洋。

“面对日益激烈的水下领域竞争和对关键基础设施的威胁，UCUV演示器的研发启动，有力地表明了法国海军确立其技术和战术优势的决心，”国防部表示。

“因此，法国加入了致力于定义和开发大型无人水下航行器能力的极少数国家行列。”

美国海军一直在与波音公司合作开发“虎鲸”（Orca）无人水下航行器，而英国上个月宣布首次从一艘超大型无人水下航行器上发射了一枚重型鱼雷。澳大利亚在9月份宣布，将斥资17亿澳元（约合12亿美元）从安杜里尔公司购买一批“幽灵鲨”（Ghost Shark）超大型无人水下航行器。

法国国防部表示，法国国防创新局与海军集团达成的这项协议，是在2023年与军备总局启动初步市场调研之后达成的。国防部还表示，该演示样机必须能够空运，并能从码头或水面舰艇上部署。

法国海军集团此前曾自筹资金研发过一架10吨级远洋无人机演示样机，该船厂的自筹资金研发工作使其能够快速评估UCUV项目所需的技术，法国国防部表示。法国于2024年1月宣布，已订购一架基于该原型机的技术演示样机，用于测试其能源自主性、传感器集成和自主运行能力。

该部表示，未来的远洋演示器将配备“受控自主决策系统”，该系统将使水下无人机能够自行或与其他系统协作，适应战术情况、环境和潜在故障。

法国2026年国防预算拨款3000万欧元用于远洋水下无人机演示试验，其中1700万欧元为承诺拨款。该国2024-2030年国防规划法还包括在七年内投入50亿欧元用于无人机和机器人项目，其中包括水下无人机。

该部表示，海上试验将验证演示舰的技术选择，并有助于更好地了解对新型海战形式的作战响应。

鲁迪·鲁伊滕贝格是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者。他的职业生涯始于彭博新闻社，拥有报道科技、大宗商品市场和政治方面的经验。