Awarded under the Autonomous Remote Command Centre contract, the initial £10 million investment represents the first phase of a programme that could grow to as much as £100 million. The programme aims to deliver a next-generation mine countermeasures capability through maritime autonomous mine hunting.
Thales will lead the integration of multiple unmanned systems operating above and below the water as a fully connected system of systems. The company will also provide hardware, software, training and technical support, working with a UK supply chain to enable rapid technology adoption and iterative capability improvement.
At the core of the command centres will be the Thales M-Cube Mission Management System, a combat-proven software suite already used by several navies worldwide. It supports the planning, execution and evaluation of conventional and autonomous mine countermeasures missions and provides situational awareness from task force to individual unit level.
The Mi-Map planning and evaluation software will underpin the Royal Navy’s new remote command centre, using AI-powered automatic target recognition to filter and refine raw data. Supported by cortAIx, Thales’ AI accelerator, the system uses machine learning to enhance accuracy, speed and effectiveness compared with traditional mine hunting methods.
Working with programme partners, Thales will initially deliver twin containerised command centre solutions to coordinate fleets of uncrewed and autonomous assets. Paul Armstrong, Managing Director for Underwater Systems activities at Thales in the UK, said, “Thales is honoured to continue its central role in delivering mine countermeasures capability to the Royal Navy, building on our proven heritage.”
Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said, “The threat to the UK is growing, driven by global instability, Russian aggression, and a greater willingness of states and hostile actors to target our critical infrastructure.” He added, “By embracing autonomous maritime technology, the Royal Navy is pioneering innovation to help keep our sailors safe at sea.”
Thales said its continued investment in UK mine countermeasures has sustained more than 200 highly skilled jobs, particularly at its Somerset and Plymouth sites. The programme also supports a wider regional network of suppliers and partners across the UK.
