U.K. Royal Navy Receives First Autonomous Mine-Hunting Vessel

The U.K. Royal Navy has received its first 12-meter uncrewed surface vessel (USV), RNMB Ariadne, designed to detect and neutralize mines without putting sailors in danger.

Ariadne uses the Thales Towed Synthetic Aperture Multiviews sonar to scan the seabed for threats, eliminating the need for crewed ships to enter minefields. The vessel can operate from a harbor or a mother ship and is controlled via a portable remote command center. Its AI-driven target recognition processes large amounts of data to classify and neutralize mines more quickly.

The Royal Navy took delivery of RNMB Ariadne in Plymouth, where personnel will train under Thales’ guidance before independently testing the system.

The U.K.’s £184 million investment in the Mine Countermeasures (MMCM) program supports over 200 jobs across multiple regions, with the USVs and command centers being manufactured domestically. The program is a joint effort with France, with a total contract value of €430 million. The Royal Navy is set to receive four systems this year.

In September 2024, a prototype vessel, RNMB Apollo, demonstrated the potential of this capability during trials in Scotland’s Firth of Clyde.