AUKUS partners test autonomous systems as Europe weighs maritime surveillance needs

Maritime Big Play tested how autonomous and uncrewed systems could operate alongside traditional military assets. The United States, United Kingdom and Australia used the exercise to advance AUKUS Pillar II, which focuses on developing and fielding advanced military capabilities. The goal was practical integration, not simply displaying new technology.

Off San Diego, the partners used uncrewed surface vessels, underwater gliders, drones and subsea vehicles. The UK led the anti-submarine warfare portion. Manned and unmanned systems worked on tracking and surveillance missions, while platforms shared information across the maritime operation.

The US Navy described the ultimate aim as reaching milestones in integrating mature robotics and autonomous systems into AUKUS coalition operations. The exercise also showed how these technologies could help detect underwater threats and combine data from different platforms. It supports wider efforts to strengthen maritime surveillance.

Autonomous and uncrewed maritime systems are machines used at sea or underwater without a crew physically aboard. Uncrewed describes the absence of people on the platform. Autonomous describes the ability to perform tasks, such as navigation, sensing or tracking, with limited direct human control. The two terms overlap, but they are not identical: an uncrewed vehicle can be remotely controlled, while an autonomous vehicle can manage parts of a mission itself.

The exercise used uncrewed surface vessels, underwater gliders, drones and subsea vehicles. These platforms gathered information and supported tracking and surveillance. Some worked with manned systems, allowing people to combine their judgment with data from machines operating in areas that may be difficult or risky to reach.

Manned ships, aircraft and submarines carry personnel onboard to operate equipment and make decisions. Uncrewed and autonomous systems can extend coverage and share data without placing crews on every platform. The article presents this combination as central to future AUKUS maritime operations.

The exercise demonstrated more than 40 technologies from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. That figure covered a broad mix of capabilities rather than one standard vehicle type. The technologies included manned systems, unmanned systems and systems described as multi-domain autonomous.

The UK’s anti-submarine warfare activities used uncrewed surface vessels, underwater gliders, drones and subsea vehicles. These platforms supported tracking and surveillance missions, working alongside manned systems. Together, they showed how different types of vehicles can contribute information to a single maritime operation.

The article does not give a full inventory or exact number for each unmanned system. The Royal Navy did not respond to a request for those details. Still, the scale indicates that Maritime Big Play was designed as a broad technology-integration exercise. Its focus was connecting mature robotics and autonomous systems across AUKUS operations.

AUKUS is a security and technology framework established by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in 2021. It has two main parts described in the article. Both involve cooperation, but they address different military needs and timelines.

Pillar I focuses on providing Australia with Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines by 2032. Pillar II is broader. It involves jointly developing and fielding advanced military capabilities, including robotics, autonomous systems and maritime sensors. Maritime Big Play supported Pillar II by testing how these technologies could work together in coalition operations.

The distinction matters because Pillar I is centered on a specific submarine capability for Australia. Pillar II concerns shared development and deployment across several advanced military areas. The exercise’s more than 40 technologies, data-sharing trials and planned undersea sensor payloads illustrate that wider focus. The United Kingdom said those payloads would become available to all three countries in 2027.

The article states that the UK headed the anti-submarine warfare portion of Maritime Big Play. It does not give a separate reason for that assignment. The UK used the exercise to demonstrate how manned and unmanned systems could cooperate in tracking and surveillance missions against underwater threats.

Anti-submarine warfare, or ASW, involves detecting, locating, tracking and identifying submarines or other underwater threats. During the exercise, the UK used uncrewed surface vessels, underwater gliders, drones and subsea vehicles. These systems gathered information and supported surveillance, while manned platforms also contributed to the mission.

The work reflects a wider AUKUS effort to improve undersea awareness. The UK later announced plans to lead development of three undersea sensor payloads: a synthetic aperture sonar, a deployable ASW sensor and a deployable non-kinetic effector. The Ministry of Defence said the payloads would support surveillance and underwater threat tracking, becoming available to all three countries in 2027.

Autonomous maritime surveillance could give European countries more persistent ways to detect and track activity at sea. The article links northern priorities to monitoring Russia’s activity and underwater threats. In the Mediterranean, countries also want to track the flow of people and support manned patrol ships that intercept migrants.

Different regions would combine systems according to their needs. Bryan Clark described northern countries using manned anti-submarine patrol aircraft, such as the P-8A Poseidon or Atlantique, alongside uncrewed aircraft such as the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. In the south, countries tend to pair uncrewed aircraft with manned patrol ships.

Better surveillance could also improve warning and response. Zak Schneider said sensors, intelligence and other data feeds help forces act on, or forecast, new maritime attacks. The AUKUS partners are developing undersea sensor payloads for unmanned systems, with availability planned for the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States in 2027.

Modern militaries combine platforms because maritime threats are varied and spread across large areas. One patrol system may not provide every needed sensor, operating range or response option. The article emphasizes that sensors, intelligence and other data feeds are vital for acting on or forecasting attacks in the maritime domain.

Maritime Big Play demonstrated this mechanism. Manned and unmanned systems worked on tracking and surveillance, while information was shared across platforms. Uncrewed surface vessels, underwater gliders, drones and subsea vehicles added different ways to gather underwater information. People and crewed platforms could then combine those inputs with operational decisions.

This networked approach also supports regional priorities. European countries use different mixes for Russian activity in northern waters and migrant flows in the Mediterranean. AUKUS is extending the model with new payloads for unmanned systems, including sonar and deployable sensors. The planned 2027 availability could strengthen shared undersea awareness.