HERNE® - A MILITARY CAPABLE AND ASSURED XLAUV

Herne is a modular, highly configurable Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XLAUV); a military capability at the forefront of the underwater battlespace.

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UK's BAE Systems and Canadian company Cellula Robotics have signed a 10year exclusive agreement to continue working together on Herne - a new autonomous submarine developed specifically for military which was successfully trialled in the UK and Canada throughout 2024 to deliver a market-ready craft for customers by the end of 2026.

BAE Systems has configured Herne to give militaries a cost-effective option to conduct various missions. It can support anti-submarine warfare, undertake covert surveillance missions and monitor and help protect underwater infrastructure across the vast expanses of the seabed.

Without the need to resupply or carry life support systems, it can work in tandem with crewed platforms or by itself to provide a persistent presence underwater for longer, at a greater scale and a fraction of the cost of traditional submarines.

Herne's flexible and innovative design provides a new military capability enabling navies to cover more of the underwater battlespace than ever before. Positioning Herne XLAUV at the forefront of the battlespace removes reliance and risk to large platforms and critical resources whilst providing a range of new mission capability.

At the core of Herne's configurable design is the latest in battery, propulsion and autonomy technology, providing maximum mission endurance. With large adaptable payload modules comprising underwater and surface capability, Herne is capable of hosting a wide range of mission-specific payloads that can be configured to meet various mission profiles, including defensive and expeditionary roles.

Herne monitors and help protect underwater infrastructure across the vast expanses of the seabed, support anti-submarine warfare and provide another means for them to undertake covert surveillance missions.