UK test fires US torpedo from undersea drone for first time

Britain and the United States have for the first time test-fired a torpedo from an uncrewed undersea vessel rather than a crewed submarine, the UK government announced Monday.

London said in a statement the live firing took place in UK waters last week as part of the Aukus alliance with Australia.

The British government said the test “marks a major advance in the future of submarine technology” for the three countries.

It “delivers a significant breakthrough for Euro-Atlantic security and Nato’s undersea advantage”, the statement added.

Western countries are rushing to modernise their war-fighting capabilities with autonomous systems, in the face of threats from Russia and Iran.

London said the heavyweight torpedo – jointly developed by the US and Australia – was launched from a 12-metre (40-ft) long undersea drone manufactured in Britain and named Excalibur.

Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the RUSI think-tank, called the development “noteworthy”.

“The employment of a lethal payload illustrates that uncrewed systems can play roles which extend beyond surveillance,” he told AFP.

The announcement came as UK prime minister Andy Burnham headed to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Burnham is due to have his first meeting with US president Donald Trump at the summit since becoming UK leader in July.

The UK government said that Burnham would use his trip to New York to “drive forward global work” on artificial intelligence.

He will announce “a new AI and autonomy partnership” with the US that will “help the UK protect critical national infrastructure, from sea lanes to air space”, the statement added.

“This week I will be making the case for closer international cooperation on AI, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and renewed efforts to bring an end to the conflict in the Middle East because what happens abroad impacts each and every one of us at home,” said Burnham.

He confirmed that Britain would host the G20 summit in November 2027 in the northwestern English city of Manchester.