UK submarine drone controlled from Australia over 10,000 miles away

The UK Royal Navy has successfully demonstrated remote operation of its new Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV), named Excalibur, from over 10,000 miles away in Australia while the drone was submerged at its home base in Plymouth, UK. This milestone was achieved during Exercise Talisman Sabre in July, as part of the AUKUS security partnership involving the US, UK, and Australia. The trial showcased the interoperability of XLUUVs between the UK and Australia and was conducted under the AUKUS Pillar II “Maritime Big Play” initiative, which aims to advance the collective use of robotics and autonomous systems at sea. Japan also participated by helping improve underwater acoustic communications. Excalibur, unveiled in May and built by Plymouth-based MSubs through the three-year Project Cetus, is the Royal Navy’s largest uncrewed underwater platform, measuring 39 feet long and capable of diving deeper than manned submarines. It is designed primarily