Naval Group to Build UCUV Underwater Combat Drone Demonstrator for French Navy

Naval Group will build an operational demonstrator of its Unmanned Combat Underwater Vehicle for the French Navy under a contract signed on November 3 at Euronaval 2026. The large uncrewed submarine is intended to support intelligence gathering and defensive and offensive missions, with deployment possible from a harbor facility or a surface vessel. Naval Group is designing it for transport aboard aircraft such as the A400M and equipping it with software that can revise mission plans as conditions change. Sea trials are scheduled to begin in 2028.