UK and US Test First Uncrewed Torpedo Launch

The Government of the United Kingdom and the United States successfully test-fired a U.S. Navy Mk 48 heavyweight torpedo from an uncrewed underwater vehicle for the first time on September 13, 2026. The proof-of-concept launch took place at the British Underwater Test & Evaluation Centre off the north coast of Scotland using Excalibur, a 12-meter-long British-manufactured drone. Because the torpedo was too long for the vehicle's central payload bay, it was launched from a cradle attached to the hull.

Developed through Project Cetus, the test validates the integration of U.S. kinetic payloads onto allied autonomous vessels under the AUKUS alliance, which includes Australia. Defence Minister Luke Pollard described the achievement as a step toward a "hybrid navy" that combines crewed and autonomous vessels to increase lethality and protect critical seabed infrastructure from Russian surveillance and sabotage. The U.S. and Royal Navy now plan to proceed with Project CUTLASS to further mature command and control architectures.

The announcement coincided with Prime Minister Andy Burnham's visit to the United Nations General Assembly to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. During the summit, Burnham announced a new AI and autonomy partnership between the UK Ministry of Defence Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce and the U.S. Department of War Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. Burnham also confirmed that the UK will host the G20 Leaders' Summit in Manchester in November 2027.