French shipbuilder, Abu Dhabi institute team up on underwater drones

Naval Group and Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute signed an agreement at Euronaval on November 3, 2026, to explore jointly developing and commercialising uncrewed underwater vehicles. The cooperation pairs the institute’s work on extra-large underwater vehicles with Naval Group’s underwater combat systems expertise, covering surveillance and reconnaissance in permissive waters as well as possible combat vehicles for contested environments. The institute’s existing development work includes a modular 5.5-metre vehicle designed to fit inside a standard 20-foot container, with an interchangeable mission section and initial sea trials planned for December 2026.