BAE Systems, the British defense company, has announced plans to bring its first fully autonomous submarine, called Herne, to market by the end of 2026.

The announcement comes as countries grow increasingly concerned about underwater threats following a series of attacks on subsea cables and pipelines.

The company revealed at the DSEI arms fair that it has signed a 10-year partnership with Canadian robotics firm Cellula Robotics to develop and manufacture the submarine.

BAE confirmed that the Herne submarine was successfully tested last year and that the goal is to have a product ready for customers by 2026. By 2027, the company expects to produce 10 to 20 submarines.

Herne is designed to operate alongside traditional submarines, providing covert surveillance, supporting anti-submarine weapons, and helping protect underwater infrastructure.

Unlike many existing unmanned submarines, which are usually remote-controlled for commercial use, Herne is fully autonomous and equipped with militarised systems for communication, intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance.

Scott Jamieson, managing director of BAE Systems Maritime & Land Defence Solutions, said the company has received significant interest from a range of countries, including Britain, European nations, and Middle Eastern countries.

Western navies are increasingly aware of emerging undersea threats, especially in areas like the Baltic Sea, which has been on high alert after repeated outages of power cables, gas pipelines, and telecom links since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

BAE also announced a partnership with U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin to develop a new autonomous air system.

Reference: baesystems

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