The Royal Navy has taken delivery of a new uncrewed surface vessel (USV) from Thales designed to identify and neutralise mines and other underwater threats.
The Royal Navy acquired the 12-metre USV named Ariadne, which features an advanced payload and a remote command center. This combination enables the rapid detection of mines in a more cost-effective and safer manner than before. The innovative technology enhances operational efficiency and removes the necessity for sailors to enter hazardous mine zones.
Royal Navy Motor Boat Ariadne can be launched from a harbour or a mother ship to search the seabed for mines, utilizing the Thales Towed Synthetic Aperture Multiview systems, recognized as one of the most advanced towed sonar systems globally. Advances in sensor technology and data analytics have played a crucial role in the development of these systems, allowing the vessel to function either fully autonomously or under remote control from the portable command center.
Equipped with AI-driven automatic target recognition, Ariadne and similar vessels can process and analyze large volumes of data, enabling operators to expedite the classification and neutralization of mines.
Following the delivery of RNMB Ariadne at an event in Plymouth, Royal Navy personnel will receive training under the guidance of Thales, after which they will independently conduct a thorough evaluation of the equipment and begin employing the mine countermeasure systems in operational roles.
The delivery is part of the Maritime Mine Counter Measure (MMCM) programme which aims to enhance the operational capabilities of both the UK and French navies through an agreement managed by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) which represents both nations.
Commander Daniel Herridge, Commanding Officer of the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, said: “The arrival of RMNB Ariadne marks a major milestone in the Royal Navy’s transition to autonomous mine countermeasures and brings us another step closer to delivering the capability.
“The Mine and Threat Exploitation Group will work with our industry and defence partners to operationalise this cutting-edge technology to achieve operational advantage. Ariadne, with her associated payloads, will enhance our ability to detect, classify, and neutralise underwater threats with greater efficiency and reduced risks to our sailors.”
He added: “This achievement is a testament to the strength of our collaboration with the Marine Nationale. With both nations now in receipt of MMCM systems, we will drive forward the next generation of mine countermeasures operations.
“MTXG will continue to progress operational evaluation, and accelerate capability delivery to provide a modern, high-tech and relevant operational effect within the maritime environment, and safeguard the UK’s interests both at home and overseas.”
UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, said: “This delivery marks a significant milestone in our mine-hunting capabilities and the autonomous technology will keep Britain and our Royal Navy sailors safer by identifiying & removing them from mines. It has also supported hundreds of skilled jobs across UK industry – a clear demonstration that defence is an engine for economic growth.”
Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme
France and the United Kingdom launched a programme aimed at evaluating and enhancing a MMCM capability, which includes the use of unmanned systems that can operate remotely at a safe distance from their parent vessels or through a command and control centre, either onboard or stationed on land.
The primary goal of the MMCM programme is to establish a flexible, interoperable, and resilient MMCM capability. This initiative will explore options for replacing current Mine Counter Measure Vessels as they are phased out of service, while also assessing the life-cycle cost advantages of implementing mine countermeasure capabilities in a novel manner. The stand-off approach focuses on off-board capabilities designed to keep personnel away from minefields whenever feasible.
By effectively neutralizing static underwater threats swiftly, these systems will provide strategic, operational, and tactical manoeuvrability, thereby ensuring the capability for maritime force projection and security at the discretion of the nations involved, in support of a diverse array of naval operations.
This bilateral initiative was officially established under the Lancaster House Treaties between France and the United Kingdom in late 2010. In March 2015, OCCAR awarded a contract for a demonstration phase following a competitive bidding process.
The contract was initially organized into a firm tranche for Stage 1 (Study, Definition, and Design Stage) and included fixed prices for two optional tranches: OT1 for Stage 2 (Manufacture of two systems) and Stage 3 (Qualification), and OT2 for Stage 4 (Support to Evaluation).
On 20 October 2016, the United Kingdom and France jointly announced the initiation of Stages 2 and 3 of the MMCM programme. This announcement came after the successful conclusion of a 15-month study focused on definition and design. Stages 2 and 3 involve the production and qualification of two identical MMCM prototype/demonstrators.
These autonomous unmanned systems, which can be deployed from the shore or at a safe distance from parent vessels, are designed to detect and neutralize sea mines and underwater explosive devices. Additionally, the MMCM programme includes a Stage 4 option, which provides a two-year support period for the evaluation of the systems by the Marine Nationale and the Royal Navy. During the France/United Kingdom Summit in January 2018, the French President and the UK Prime Minister expressed their commitment to expedite the operational deployment of the system.
The subsequent production phase, referred to as Stage II, has advanced swiftly, with the formal Programme Definition (ProgD) and the associated contract for both nations being signed in October 2020. Stage II encompasses both common and unique development activities, the manufacture of multiple systems, the establishment of a shore operation and training centre, and various costed contractual options, including In-Service Support (ISS).
