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Unmanned Marine Systems: Deployment

Asked by Andrew RosindellReform UKMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 2 February 2026UIN 107971

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for the operational deployment of autonomous surface vessels by the Royal Navy.

Answered by Luke Pollard

The Royal Navy’s ‘Hybrid Navy’ proposition will embrace autonomy in the coming years with the future programme being developed in accordance with the Strategic Defence Review. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the domain capabilities over the next five years, with the exact numbers and levels of investment apportioned to these systems to be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

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