The Royal Navy's experimental uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur has completed a first-of-its-kind torpedo firing for the US or UK. The 12-meter vehicle, unveiled last year under Project CETUS, launched a heavyweight torpedo developed jointly by the US and Australia as part of the AUKUS partnership. Downing Street said it was the first time either nation had fired a torpedo from an underwater drone rather than a crewed submarine.
According to The Register, Excalibur navigated autonomously to its launch position and executed a pre-programmed firing sequence. It did not detect or track the target itself; target data was supplied through external systems. The vehicle has no torpedo tubes, and its midships payload bay is too small for a large torpedo, so the weapon may have been carried in an external cradle.
Builder MSubs Ltd was awarded a £6.7 million contract in July for the next phase of trials. Excalibur is experimental, but its results are expected to shape future Royal Navy UUVs intended to patrol the North Atlantic and protect undersea cables from potential Russian sabotage. The test comes as the UK and US are expected to announce a new AI and autonomy partnership focused on critical infrastructure.